The Day of Burning Skies
by PkmnMaster Rolf
Summary: The Meteor Crisis has been averted. Time flows on as it always has and Darkness has been cast down once again. Even the Bittercold could not prevail. But now, something far older even then Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina is stirring in the pit of the Reverse World, testing its bonds for weakness. The Forgotten One, the Bringer of Corruption, will return to rewrite the world.
1. Chapter 1: Of Dogs and a Cat

Part One: Bolt the Starchaser

Chapter One:

Of Dogs and a Cat

_"__Great lords have their pleasures, but the people have happiness." Charles De Secondat_

"Well, have you made your decision?"

"Ha! Have I ever!"

Two figures sat in near complete darkness, the only light coming from a small reflecting pool in the floor between them. One was large, grotesquely so, though he had no precise form to speak of. The other, smaller one was just as formless, but her voice held a tone of command. "So you are ready then?" she said.

"Yeah, I'm ready. You bet I'm ready. Can't wait to get out of this place. You sure Giratina won't notice my escape?" A vague, tremendous limb gestured to the infinite void above them, where the dim outline of cliffs soaring far above was the only thing that could be seen.

"The way is secret. Besides, he wouldn't dare report it, since it would mean he has failed his task as our warden."

"Well hey, I ain't complaining, I just want enough time to settle in before I have his army knocking down my door, you know? Prepare a bit."

"Don't you trust me?"

"Hahaha! Now that's a good one! _Me_ trust _you_? Ha! When tepigs fly! Without the help of a psychic that is."

"Hmph. You insult me."

"Oh get over it, doll. Now, how do we do this?"

"Hold it! Wait a minute!" Another figure, smaller than both of the others, strode into the small circle of light around the reflecting pool. "You weren't thinking of letting _him_ go and making _me_ stay behind, were you mistress?"

"Oh look, the moron himself has arrived," The large figure drawled.

"Shut up, you! What, you think you're better than me?"

"I know I am, short-stuff. Now scurry on back to whatever hole you were hiding in. This is a serious stuff."

"Yeah, and I want a part of it!"

"Stop it, both of you," the female said in a commanding tone.

"Yes, mistress."

"Sure, whatever."

"Good. You both still know how to listen to me. Now, if you want to go with him, you must pick out a host. Otherwise you won't do my any good."

"I can do that!" the smallest figure said excitedly, "Anything _he_ can do, I can do too!"

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that, shorty."

"Shut _up_!"

The female figure sighed. "I told you both to stop. Now, do you have a candidate in mind?" she asked the smallest one.

"Yes, mistress, I've been searching the world of the living for a while now. If one does not accept me, then I have several others who will."

"Excellent. You will both go then."

"And what about you, doll?" the largest said, "Will you be joining us anytime soon?"

"Yes, mistress, what about you?"

"Me?" She mused for a minute. "Hmm, I shouldn't think so. Things are not nearly far enough along for my presence. The seven seals placed upon me are still holding strong. I believe I shall send the other five first, to pave the way, as it were, for my return."

"More, eh?" the largest said doubtfully, "Well, as long as they don't get in the way of what I want…"

"You want everything," she said flatly.

"Heh, so I do. Well then! I guess you'd best warn them not to take what I've already claimed."

"Noted, now you two had best be going."

"Yes Mistress."

"Suck-up…"

"Enough! Both of you! Since it appears there is no hope of you working together, I will send you to different locations. My acolytes will be waiting for your arrival. I believe your target was in the capitol and yours was in the…"

"The Pikesdale Arena, mistress."

"Very well. Find your targets, get settled, and don't draw attention to yourselves. Just be ready when the time comes."

"Oh, I'll be ready. I've been waiting for that day for a long time now."

"I'll be ready too! And I bet I'll be ready before him!"

"Then make it so. Now, you'd best go."

"I'm going, I'm going. Don't get your tail in a knot."

"How dare you speak to the mistress like…"

"Shut up, you!"

A small chuckle came from the female as the glow from the reflecting pool brightened. "Ah yes, always at each other's throats. Well, that can't be helped. On your way now. Spirit of Greed, spirit of Envy, depart."

There was a flash and she was alone.

Far away, in a place where hardly anyone gave thought to the great evils of the world, two travelers stood looking down on a small, seaside town. The first, a young jolteon, looked down with barely contained excitement and wonder. His companion, a lucario with curious black-fur, watched him in amusement. "Well?" he asked.

"So that's what a normal city looks like!"

"Actually, that's more of a small town. I've been to cities before."

"You've been to places bigger this before?" the jolteon asked in wonder.

"Yes, my dear young jolteon," the lucario growled, "I've been lots of places."

"Hey! You're not much older than me!

"But I am older, aren't I Bolt?"

The jolteon smiled. "Yep! Say, have you ever been here before?"

"No, I have not."

"Do you know anything about it?"

"Other than it's the closest settlement to home? No," the lucario answered. He shouldered the pair's travel pack and began the trek down the path to the gate. "Now, we should probably go see if that inn has any rooms for the night. And if we have the currency they use. I'd really like to sleep in a bed tonight."

Bolt's stomach growled. "I'm hungry. Do we have anything more to eat?"

His companion fished a single Oran Berry out of the pack and tossed it to him. "There you go, the last of our supplies." His stomach growled as well and he winced.

Bolt gobbled up the large berry and sighed. "Will they have more food, you think?"

The lucario's stomach growled again, louder. He growled in annoyance and began walking. "They better…just remember not to sell your necklace. We'll never get home without it."

Bolt nodded and walked along beside him as they took the path up the cliff to the town. Surf pounded down below as the sun began the final stretch of its daily journey across the sky. He looked up, another question on his lips, at the lucario next to him, whose eyes were fixed on their goal. "Keski, do you even know what this place is called?"

"Well…" the lucario muttered, "Assuming that map we got is accurate, which is doubtful, I believe it is called Seaside Crest. It could be called something else though. The merchant warned us that things on the edge of the Seafoam Empire often changed without being officially recorded." He looked sideways at Bolt. "Out of curiosity, why are we here?"

Bolt grinned. "To find Mist, of course! What else would we be doing here?"

"I just noticed that, lately, you've been more concerned with seeing new places than finding her," Keski noted, "What makes you think she'll be here?"

"What makes you think she won't?"

"It's a pretty small town, Bolt… Chances are she's not here."

"Which is why it's all the more likely she is here! Or in a town like this," Bolt said triumphantly, "Because she's trying to hide!"

"So you just want to check every small town we come across?" Keski groaned and put a paw to his forehead, massaging it gently. "Bolt, do you know how long that will take?"

"Well we've done three in a month!" Bolt retorted cheerfully.

"And we're out of supplies and low on money…" Keski grumbled, "Besides, there are so many small towns scattered everywhere that we won't even be able to _find_ them all, much less search them. This is the furthest one out, too! It'll take forever!"

"Then the obvious thing to do is start with the one in front of us!" Bolt replied. He broke into a sprint. "Come on!"

Keski took off after him. "Hey! Slow down!"

"No! You run faster!"

"Bolt!"

"See you in the town, Keski!"

"_Bolt!_" Keski ran faster, breaking into a sprint. The jolteon, however, was too fast. He shot up the road like a rocket, kicking up a trail of dust in his wake. The black-furred lucario growled in frustration and gave up after a few seconds. "If he gets into trouble before I can find him again…" he muttered to himself. "…. He's going to get into trouble. I just know it. Of course he is! This is Bolt we're talking about…" He sighed. "Sometimes I wish I wasn't in charge of protecting him…life would be so much simpler."

Bolt sped toward Seaside Crest, a huge smile on his face. It was a good day to be alive! The earthy feeling of the path beneath his paws, the wind whistling by, the warm sun beaming down overhead, and the sound of pounding surf down below, all so exciting! Run, run forever, on into the sunset! Never stop! It felt good to be free!

He let out a whoop and redoubled his speed, but the path into town was blocked by a low wall and small gate. Bolt skidded to a halt right in front of the gate, kicking up a large cloud of dust, and looked around in bewilderment. There was no one there! However, a sign posted on the gate said 'Use North Gate'.

"Well that's dumb!" Bolt said aloud, "Why go around when there is a perfectly good entrance right here?" He stood on his hind legs for a second and pushed against the gate. It was barred from behind and didn't budge. The jolteon sat down stared up at it, head cocked slightly to the side. "I'll bet…I could jump over it!"

He grinned, immensely pleased with himself, and trotted back a bit to get a good running start. "And a one, and a two, and go!" He leapt neatly over the gate and landed in a heap. "Ow…"

A nearby buizel stared at him in surprise. "Oi!" the twin-tailed weasel snapped, jumping upright, "What be all this then? Nearly landed on me tail, you did."

"Sorry!" Bolt said, backing off quickly, "Didn't know you were there when I jumped over the gate."

The buizel's eyes narrowed. "You be some sorta smuggler then?"

"Nope!" Bolt said, "I'm a bard!" He rose, shook the dust out of his fur, and darted toward the center of town.

The buizel blinked in confusion. As Bolt disappeared around the corner, he said quietly to himself, "What be a bloody bard?"

Bolt hummed a simple tune as he reached the town's center thoroughfare. He looked around, eyes shining. There weren't a whole lot of Pokémon on the streets and only five shops, but it was comfortable. The sun was setting in the background and the last shoppers were disappearing into their homes for dinner. Bolt's stomach rumbled. Food, right? Which one of these was the inn?

The young jolteon's eyes studied his surroundings, taking it in. Down the sloping street nearby the two large docks was a three-story building made out of a combination of stone and wood. A few more buizel sailors and some other water-types were resting on the porch, tankards of Mago Berry Cider in their paws. It wasn't strictly cider, since it wasn't made from apples, but the name still stuck with it. The place looked a bit crowded though. Maybe there was someplace else?

A bit closer to him, the small shopping district was closing up for the night. On the left stood a homely bank and a supply store advertising supplies for adventurers of all stripes. On the right were an apothecary, a warehouse both for travelling merchants and locals, and a store named 'Azzy's Goods and Services'. Bolt stepped up to it and sniffed the doorway. The scent of something good being baked wafted out from it. His mouth watered. Maybe if he asked nicely, they would give him some!

Mind made up, he pushed the door open with a paw and entered. The front of the store was empty, of course, but he went in anyway. After all, the door was unlocked. That meant it was still open.

"Hello?" he called, "Anyone home? With food?"

There was no response, but he heard something from the back. Curious, he went behind the counter to the slightly ajar door normally reserved for employees and peered through into the next room.

"Please, Malik, leave us alone." An elderly azumaril stood bravely in between a terrified marill and three very hostile looking Pokémon. Two were houndooms, both sporting sharp, bared teeth and wicked horns. In between them stood a very young meowth, not more than five summers, with his claws unsheathed and eyes filled with petulant rage.

"Make him take back what he said first!" he snapped, "My father is a _great_ ruler! He's from the _capitol_! You're just ungrateful and I'm not spoiled at all! All _I _want is an apology for what you," he pointed at the marill, who shifted further behind the azumarill, "said about me!"

"I…I…" the smaller blue mouse squeaked in fear, "I'm sorry Malik! Just…leave, please?"

Malik crossed his arms and stuck his tongue out at them. "No, I don't think I will," the meowth said with a pleased purr, "As it turns out, you owe my father your taxes. Since you were so rude earlier, it reminded me of it." He turned to his two companions. "Search the place!"

The azumarill took a half-step forward, but immediately stepped back when both hounds snarled in his face. He swallowed, trembling in fear, but still spoke his mind. "We…we paid though! Every copper of it!"

"Well then," the young meowth said with a cruel smile, "I'm sure my father will be glad to refund it. Later. _If_ you can prove you already paid, that is." The two mice were distraught, but cowered when the two hounds began tearing the room apart, looking for money.

Bolt took a step back from the door and glanced around nervously. What to do? They were in trouble and leaving them just didn't seem right. But those two houndoom looked pretty dangerous. He took a deep breath. Dad would know what to do. He was a hero, after all. He'd probably charge right in and put them in a world of hurt. Well, Bolt thought, can't quite do that. But…maybe there is something I can do…

His eyes fell on a stand filled with apples, ten coppers each, and he grinned. He snagged one in his mouth, kicked the door down, and marched right in with sparks crackling through his fur. The five Pokémon stopped in their tracks and stared at him. He spat the apple out with a snarl. "Thief!" he snapped, "That's what you are!"

The other occupants of the room stared at the strange jolteon in dumb confusion, but the meowth was the first to recover. He quivered in rage, from his whiskers to his tail. "What did you just say, you miserable little…"

Bolt ignored him and kicked the apple toward the Azumarill. "Ten coppers?! That's price-gouging! Why, I could get one of these for four the next town over!"

Once again, the room was filled with the deafening sound of stunned silence. "Who's this idiot?" one of the meowth's companions whispered to the other. Bolt whirled on him.

"Idiot, am I? Well let me tell you something, greed is a terrible thing and I will not allow it to go unchallenged! First, it's cheating people on small things, like apples. But then, it grows until it corrupts the government! The order of nature! Time and Space itself! Yes, Time and Space will become greedy and gobble each other up! Then, where would we be?"

"What?" Malik frowned. "That makes absolutely no sense!"

"Exactly! I'm glad we're understanding each other!" Bolt smiled warmly at him.

The three exchanged very confused glances. "Uh…" one of the houndoom said, "Citizen, if you wouldn't mind leaving now, we're kind of in the middle of something."

Bolt sighed. "And here I thought we understood each other…remember how I was talking about other things being corrupted by greed? Well, I just so happened to be standing outside that door, if you catch my drift. Oh! Sorry, you're not a water or ice-type. No drifts for you! I'll say 'if you catch my meaning' instead."

The trio stiffened. A hiss and two growls rose from their throats. "You accusing the boss' kid of something?" one of the horned hounds asked with a snarl.

Bolt laughed. "Me? Nope! Never! I'm just saying that Greed is an ugly thing! Which makes sense for you. It's almost fitting really. Poetic, even! You and Greed are exactly alike in that respect!" He grinned widely.

The meowth's face twisted and contorted in rage so much that it looked painful. He stamped his paw several more times and looked almost ready to leap at Bolt, despite the disparity in size. But then a look of hostile curiosity entered his eyes. "I haven't seen you around before. Where are your entrance papers?"

Bolt's grin slipped a fraction of a degree. "What entrance papers?"

"The one's they gave you for entering the city, of course!" the cat snapped, "They hand them out at the North Gate and all the other ones are closed! So you either have them or you're here illegally!"

"I…jumped over the South Gate…" Bolt grinned sheepishly and began edging for the door.

"Oh? Did you now?" The meowth turned to his two followers, triumph in his eyes. "Dorchett! Demogor! Grab that jolteon and haul him down to the police!"

"Yes, Malik!" the pair replied, leering at Bolt. "Come along, little jolteon," Dorchett ordered, "Don't make things get messy now."

Bolt cleared his throat. "I think this has been a lovely conversation, but I'm afraid I hear my mom calling me. Ta-ta!" He turned to run.

"Get him!" Demogor snarled. In moments, they were all out of the store, leaving a very relieved azumarill and marill behind them.

Bolt ran through the streets. That went well! Sure, he was in a bit of trouble now, but as soon as he found a way to lose his pursuers, everything would be perfect! Yet that proved more difficult than he imagined. Even if they were slower than him, they knew the town much better than he did and remained right on his tail.

"Persistent, aren't you three?" he called over his shoulder, "Most would have given up by now! Did I tick you off that badly?"

"Don't slow down now! Grab him!" Malik shouted. The two horned hounds responded by putting on a burst of speed, saving their breath for running. Bolt blinked in surprise as they began to close the distance. So, he too sped up.

Immediately, he ran into something hard, cold, and unyielding. He bounced off it and fell on his back, stunned. His vision swam, but he could make out the vague outline of a stone building with a painted wooden sign above the door.

"P…O…L…I…C…E…" he muttered, though it took his spinning head a second to realize exactly what that collection of letters meant. "Oh… Well crud!" He staggered to his feet and tried to run once more, but Dorchett and Demogor tackled him to the ground. They pinned him, snarling in his face, teeth bared and lips pulled far back so he could see the slight yellowing of their teeth.

"Stay down, jolteon," Dorchett warned.

"Or we'll mess you up good," Demogor threatened.

Bolt smiled pleasantly. "Don't suppose we could talk about this?" His two captors stared blankly at him. "Didn't think so…"

Malik came puffing up, breathing hard and overheated already. He glared daggers at Bolt, placing all blame for everything that had gone wrong today on him. "You think you are clever, eh? Barging in there, insulting _me_? Do you know who I am?"

"Um…no, not really. Just a basic outline from what I observed," Bolt replied. He brightened as an idea occurred to him. "I can tell you who I am though!"

"I don't care who you are!" Malik snapped.

"Well that's rude!" Bolt retorted, "In that case, I don't care who you are either."

Malik stared incredulously at him. "I can't tell if you're stupid or just a really good actor. Probably stupid."

Bolt shrugged. "It's possible. Keski always says there is a short in my brain. Claims it's because of the extra electricity flowing through it."

With extra care to show his contempt, Malik snorted derisively. "And just who is Keski?"

"That would be me."

Malik and his two guards turned sharply. So sharply they almost gave themselves whiplash. Standing with the setting sun behind him, Keski's black fur gave off an air of unmistakable menace. A growl rose from Dorchett's throat, answered by one from Keski's. "What are you doing here?" Malik demanded haughtily.

"I was looking for Bolt," Keski replied evenly, "But I found you three attacking him. Care to explain to me why that is?"

"This criminal does not have the proper identification in order to enter the city!" Malik retorted.

"…" Keski stared at him blankly. "…identification?"

"Yeah…" Bolt said, looking a bit mareepish, "turns out you need some sort of paper from the North Gate to legally enter this place. I just jumped over the south one."

Keski cleared his throat. "Ah, I see. Well, um, I will be right back then…" He turned to go, but Dorchett and Demogor intercepted him, appearing in his path.

"Not so fast, lucario," Dorchett said with a warning growl.

"Let's have a look at _your_ papers," Demogor added.

Keski looked between them, shifting awkwardly. "Well, the thing is…" Malik grinned, pleased to no end by this development. "I…temporarily…do not have them…with me…" Keski winced, knowing exactly how unbelievable that story was, "But, if you allow me…ten minutes, I will be back…with my papers…which I have…just not on me…"

"Suuure," Malik drawled, "Should we sit down with blindfolds on and our paws over our ears while you take all our money too?" The two houndoom circled around him and backed him up against the same wall as Bolt.

Keski groaned. "This is all your fault."

Bolt looked up sharply. "_My _fault?" he said, aghast.

"Yes, your fault!" the lucario snapped, "And now we get to experience the consequences of your stupidity!"

"Hey! It's no big deal! We can take the three of them!" Bolt said. Keski rolled his eyes.

"Right," he said, "let's just start beating everyone up. Right in front of the police station. Because nothing bad could come of that."

"Exactly!" Bolt said happily, "So, we going to do this or what?" Keski sighed heavily.

"Sometimes I wonder why I bother…" he muttered. Bolt laughed.

"You probably shouldn't," he said, "Dad says that talking to me is like fighting a psychic. Your mind feels funny afterwards." Dorchett snorted, slightly amused by that comment, though glares from his two companions silenced him.

The front door to the police station opened and a Pikachu wearing a blue sash with the police's emblem on it stepped out. He stopped short when he saw the scene in front of him. "Um…"

"Officer Kachi! Officer Kachi!" Malik called, jumping from paw to paw in delight, "These two don't have their entrance papers! Arrest them!"

The bewildered pikachu blinked several times. "Well, I just got off my…" He looked back and forth between the two groups, unsure exactly what to do. He cleared his throat, assuming the authoritative attitude expected from the police. "Is that true?" he asked Bolt and Keski. The pair exchanged glances.

"Yeah…" Keski said apologetically.

After a moment's hesitation, the pikachu police officer held open the door to the building with a heavy sigh. "Well, come inside then. You're under arrest and all that. Anything you say can be held against you if your case ever comes to a court of law." Bolt nodded and stepped inside, eager to escape Malik, followed closely by Keski.

Malik bounced in delight. "Lock them up for ninety years, Officer Kachi! Throw away the key to their cell!"

"_Thank_ you, Malik," Kachi replied, pasting a patient smile on his face, "Now scurry on home. You're probably late for dinner."

Malik paled and looked at the position of the sun in the sky. "Hey! You're right!" With this new goal in mind, the young meowth went running off towards home with his two bodyguards. Kachi gave another small sigh and closed the door.

The room they were in was small, but not uncomfortable. One half of it was taken up by a desk and wood chair, the other half had a few chairs along the wall of various sizes due to the diverse amount of Pokémon that came through here. Kachi hopped onto the one behind the desk and smiled at the two in a friendly way. "Well, welcome to Seaside Crest! Did you miss the sign on the South Gate?"

"No," Bolt replied, "I just ignored it. And then I was chased by Malik."

"Sorry about that…" he said, "Malik is…a bit…um, how do I say it? He's…overzealous in enforcing the laws his father makes." He rolled his eyes. "All of them. And believe me, there are quite a lot."

"Really?" Bolt's curiosity was piqued. "How many?"

Kachi wordlessly reached behind the desk and pulled out a stack of papers half as high as he was and dropped them on the desk. "There ya go!" he said with flippant cheer, "Have fun reading through them! And good luck following them all! We're supposed to enforce them, but to be honest, I don't even know what half of them mean! For example…" He picked the top paper off the stack and held it before his face, reading in a very proper accent. "All citizens are advised to stay indoors at reasonable hours during the night. Any citizens not obeying this decree shall be suspected of villainy." He tossed the paper casually toward Keski, who caught it after some fumbling. "Yeah, we have no idea what that is supposed to mean."

Bolt stared at the piece of paper in wonder. "What is this thing?" he asked, "We only have stone or clay tablets where I come from!"

Kachi grinned. "New to the Empire, eh? That is something a grass-type inventor thought up a while ago now. It's been around since…well, since before that big meteor almost destroyed the world. Basically, it's compressed wood pulp. Kinda fragile, but it sure beats stone or clay. They mostly use it to post jobs for the guilds, though _we_ use it to keep track of red tape."

Bolt stared at it, fascinated. Keski just looked it over, mildly impressed, and tossed it aside. "So…" the lucario began, "what happens now?"

Opening a drawer in the desk, the pikachu police officer pulled out several blank sheets of paper, an inkwell, and a quill. "Now…you tell me who you are, how you got into the city, what you are doing here, and why you didn't go through the North Gate. Slowly, please, so I can write it down."

Keski grunted. "Simple enough. I'm Keski. This is Bolt."

"Hi!" Bolt said, grinning, "As I said, I jumped over the South Gate because it seemed stupid to go all the way around."

"And I climbed over it because that's where his tracks led. I was trying to catch up to him _before_ he landed in trouble. It appears I failed miserably…" Keski explained wryly, "And we're here looking for someone."

Kachi wrote this down. "Who are you looking for?"

"My sister," Bolt replied, "Her name is Mist. She's an eevee. Have you seen her?"

Kachi shook his head. "Nope. Sorry."

"Aww…" Bolt's countenance fell and he sighed. "Well, there's always the next town…"

Kachi looked at him questioningly, so Keski explained. "We've been travelling for a bit now, looking around for her. She disappeared from our home on an island a month and a half ago. We couldn't leave immediately, not until we could convince a passing ship to stop and give us passage, so we lost her trail pretty quick. Bolt is determined to search until he finds her."

"Ah, I see," Kachi replied, scribbling down a few things, "And where exactly is your home?"

"It's…a bit west of here. We live on one of the islands out in the middle of the ocean," Keski explained, "A ship was blown ashore by the stormy seas surrounding our island. We helped repair it, but when they left, Mist had left too. We tracked the ship down and the crew told us she had convinced them to take her with them, so they did. They weren't lying, either." Keski grinned, a little blood-thirst in his eye. "I made sure of that." Kachi paused and stared at him, a little unnerved.

"But," Bolt said, picking up the tale, "They couldn't tell us where she had gone, so now we are just wandering around looking for news of her."

"Right…" Kachi said, setting aside the quill and blowing lightly on the ink to help it dry. It smudged a little and he grumbled under his breath. "Well, sorry to tell you this, but your journey ends here for right now."

Bolt blinked and Keski stiffened hostilely. "Why's that?" they asked in unison, though with very different tones. Bolt's contained pure curiosity, Keski's had an undertone of threat to it. In response, Kachi rifled through the pile of laws on his desk, searching for one particular one. Once he had it in his paws, he handed it to Keski, an apologetic smile on his face.

Keski read it through once, the growled. "Visitors without the appropriate documentation are to be held until their identities can be confirmed?!"

"Yeah…" Kachi rubbed the back of his head mareepishly, "Sorry, but that one is pretty clear and our job is to enforce the rules, no matter the circumstances…" He cleared his throat. "Also, this may not be the best time to mention this, but there's also a fine…"

"We have almost no money," Keski said flatly.

The pikachu sighed in response. "Then we'll need to find work for you to do…"

"How long will it take to confirm our identities?" Bolt asked anxiously, "I really want to find Mist…The way she ran off like that worries me."

Kachi pondered it for a minute. "Well, we can send out a message to your island within the week. Then all we need is a reply along with your descriptions. Not that it would be difficult considering you're the only pure black-furred lucario I've ever seen." Keski cleared his throat and nodded, smiling awkwardly. "So, I suppose the only thing we need from you is the location of your home." Keski and Bolt exchanged worried glances. "Is something wrong?"

"Well, you see the thing is…" Bolt began.

"We lived on a…special island," Keski said.

"There is a storm surrounding it all the time and the only way to get through is with this." Bolt indicated his necklace, where a single, crystalline feather hung. "So it was very hard to find a ship to carry us to the mainland. And this necklace is kind of our only way home, so we would rather not part with it…"

"May I see it?" Kachi asked.

"Uh…sure?" Bolt dipped his head and allowed it to slide gently onto Kachi's desk.

The pikachu picked up the feather and examined it. "Well…" he said, "I've never heard of any island like that…I don't want to accuse you of lying, but…" He frowned as he stared at the feather. "Come with me. There's someone here more familiar with obscure bits of knowledge than me. She might be able to confirm your story." He paused, but then remembered he was still holding Bolt's feather. "Oh, here's this back." He tossed the feather to Bolt, who caught it gently in his mouth and wrangled the strap back around his neck.

Kachi hopped onto all fours and led them swiftly into the rear of the police station. They passed the cells, the evidence room, and a room filled with beds, presumably for the officers living in the station. From the looks of things, it hadn't been used in years. In fact, everything was covered in a fine layer of dust.

"You'll have to forgive the mess," Kachi said conversationally, "No one really is assigned to clean the place and we're only here during the day, so it kind of falls through the cracks. Anyway, the door we want is right back here, the main office." He pushed it open with a slight creak from the hinges, revealing a cluttered workspace with four desks lining the walls, two on each side, and one larger one all the way at the back. All five were piled high with papers stacked so precariously that a slight breeze might push them over. Currently, only three Pokémon were in the room. On the left was a tangrowth rapidly writing on three different pieces of paper with as many vines. The fact that he could perform such a feat was impressive even without the added difficulty of tuning out the very loud conversation coming from the back of the room.

"And the governor wonders why we never get anything done!" a quilava snapped, flinging himself back in his chair, "Look at all this! I can't even tell what sort of wood this desk is made out of, there's so much junk piled on it!"

Beside him stood a female dewott with a serious expression on her face. She stood with military precision and kept her expression carefully neutral. It wasn't necessarily hostile, just unreadable. "Sir," she said, "Might I remind you that you could have completed a good portion of your work today if you spent less time complaining about it?"

"Oh, what's the point? There will just be more of it tomorrow. I'm pretty sure the major import for this town is paper because this stuff on my desk would fill half of a merchant craft's cargo hold!"

The dewott's lips crept almost imperceptibly upwards. "If you like, I could request an inquiry into the truth of that."

"NO! That would mean even MORE paperwork!"

"As you wish, sir. Though I would warn you that we do indeed have another batch coming tomorrow."

The quilava moaned and let his head fall on his desk, cushioned by the copious amounts of forms and records there. "I give up…" he groaned, "I'm quitting this job and spending my time down at the inn with several pints of cider. The waitresses are quite fetching. I'm sure I'll be nice and relaxed after a week with them."

His subordinate sighed heavily and shook her head. "Chief Pyralis, sir!"

"Oh, you used my full name _and_ title. Now I know I'm in trouble…"

"Yes sir! Your conduct is unbecoming of a superior officer and sets a poor example for the rest of the force!"

The police chief glared at her. "The rest of the force? You and the workaholic over there are the only ones here!" He blinked, seeing the three who had entered for the first time. "And…Kachi…and…two other Pokémon. What _are_ you doing back here, Kachi? I thought you were going home for the day?"

Kachi laughed. "Well, you won't believe this, but as I was walking out the front door, Malik insisted I arrest these two since they didn't have the proper documents to enter the city." There was a pause. "Oh, Bolt and Keski, this is Chief Pyralis, but we all call him Pyre, and that is Lt. Cascade, his self-appointed conscience."

Bolt grinned. "Hi! Nice to meet you!"

Cascade nodded guardedly in response. "Likewise."

Pyre glowered. "Entering without papers, eh?" the chief muttered, "Regulation number three hundred something-something or the other: the police force is required to control, interview, and background check all the traffic entering and exiting the city'. Because we all possess the power of Mew and can do impossible things on a regular basis."

"Yeah, so Pyre…what do we do with them?" Kachi asked, "They haven't done anything dangerous. We _could_ put them in a cell, but I think the worst thing they did today was get on Malik's bad side."

Pyre raised an eyebrow. "How'd you two manage that?"

"I was looking for someplace to eat when I found him and his two guards threatening the azumarill and marill in the general store," Bolt immediately replied grimly, "I tried to intervene, but things went downhill quickly."

Pyre stared at him, incredulous. "He was threatening them? That's illegal. That's very illegal. Too bad he's Jasper's spoiled little brat, otherwise I'd drag him down here myself. Dorchett and Demogor, however…" He grinned. "Jasper doesn't have the authority to keep them out of jail. And we have two nice cells all ready for them."

The dewott cleared her throat. "Be sure that you have all the paperwork in order for them. Jasper will demand to see it. And don't forget the forms we need to fill out for these two before they can be properly jailed as well."

Pyre's grin disappeared and was replaced with one of horror. "Oh Arceus save me…" he said with a choked sob. Kachi cleared his throat.

"Sir, Lt. Cascade makes a good point," he began, "And none of us really want to deal with that right now. I mean, I'm sure Meadow is already going to scold me for being late to dinner. Also, I mean, I don't really think that a prison cell is necessary for these two. Even if they were by for less-than-legal reasons, which we have no evidence of nor is there any reason to suspect, the only thing they have done so far ignore a sign. So I propose we just send them on down to the Starchasers. They can have them do chores or something."

Pyre's grin returned. "And that only requires one form! A job-request for the Starchasers to accept!" He yanked a few papers out from the middle of the pile, bringing the entire stack down afterwards, and began writing furiously on them. While he was engaged in that, Kachi sidled up to Lt. Cascade.

"Hey, Cascade, would you mind doing something for me? Quickly?"

She turned and nodded. "Of course, Kachi, what is it?"

The pikachu motioned for Bolt to come forward. "See that necklace he's wearing? Can you identify what's on it?"

She frowned and reached for the crystal feather. "May I?" she asked politely. Bolt nodded and dipped his head as she removed it gently. The dewott studied it, taking in the small details. How the filaments blended together in a fine pattern, how it refracted the light passing through it, and the small rainbows that filled the interior. It was a marvelous piece of craftsmanship. When looked at from a distance, it looked transparent, but when seen up close it was one of the most colorful and beautiful things she had ever seen.

"It's very nice," she complimented, "Its structure almost exactly matches that of a real feather, just not one to any bird I've ever seen. Where'd you get it?"

"From my father before I left home," Bolt answered, "He said it would serve as a guide when I wanted to return."

Cascade examined it further, frowning. "No matter which way I turn it, as long as I let it hang, this end always points the same way. West." Abruptly, she finished her examination and placed it around Bolt's neck. "Reminds me of something an old friend told me once. It was a story about an enchanted island over the Western Sea. Only someone who lived there could find their way back, unless they told you how to get there." She glanced at Bolt sharply. "Just where are you from? What's the name of the place?"

Bolt and Keski exchanged hesitant glances. "Um…" Bolt said, "Well, it's just one of those islands out in the middle of the ocean. I don't really know what _you_ would call it. It does have a mountain in the middle, but so does pretty much every other island out there." Cascade gazed at him, expressionless but clearly waiting for something more. "_We_ call it the Island of the Rainbow…" The dewott blinked once. "That's really all I can tell you. I honestly have no idea what you mainlanders call it."

"Island of the Rainbow is enough to go on. For now." Cascade let that hang in the air for a moment before she shifted her attention to Kachi and continued. "I assume you want me to check up on this story of theirs for the purposes of identity confirmation?" The pikachu nodded in affirmation. "Very well. It may take me a few days. I might even have to consult a few of my contacts in other towns. But between the feather and this 'Island of the Rainbow' name, I can probably pin down where they claim to have come from."

Kachi smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Cass! You're the best, you know that right?"

"So they tell me," the dewott answered with a small, amused chuckle, "I'll get on it tomorrow. I don't think the Chief will forgive me if I make him fill out the approval forms for my inquiry tonight."

"I certainly will not!" Pyro growled, scribbling furiously, "Aaaaand done! One job request for the capture of a black-furred lucario and a jolteon." He got out from behind his desk and stepped over the papers that he had spilled on the floor, handing the slip of paper to Kachi. "Here you go! Take that down to the guildhall and post it on their board. Then, just hand these two over to them and call it a day. That way it's an official job request and our wonderful governor can't get his tail in a knot over it."

Kachi saluted enthusiastically. "Yes sir! Come on, you two! Time for you to meet our local guild!"


	2. Chapter 2: Seeing Stars

Chapter Two:

Seeing Stars

_"Be wisely worldly, be not worldly wise," Francis Quarles_

Kachi hummed a jaunty tune as he led Bolt and Keski through the dimming streets of Seaside Crest. The sun had almost set and a few Pokémon scurried around lighting the streetlamps, preparing for the dark night to come. Bolt, however, was more interested in the tune Kachi was producing.

"Is that 'The Ballad of the Lonely Lotad'?" he asked.

Kachi, taken off-guard, was slow to reply. "Um, yeah. You know it?"

Bolt nodded, grinning. "Yep! It's always a crowd favorite!"

"Crowd favorite?" Kachi repeated questioningly.

"Bolt sings songs and tells stories to entertain everyone back home," Keski interjected, "It's been useful so far at the few inns we stopped at. Discounted lodging and all that."

Kachi chuckled. "I see. Well then, if you're any good, you can use that to pay off the fine." Bolt and Keski sighed morosely. "Don't worry too much. It's not a large one. More of an inconvenience to most people."

"We're not 'most people'," Keski replied, "We are almost out of money. I believe we have…" He reached into his pack and pulled out a nearly empty leather purse. He gave it an experimental shake. "Three coins left!"

"Um, wow…" Kachi rubbed the back of his head, feeling a little awkward. He was a kind Pokémon at heart and felt obligated to help, but he didn't want to do too much or else risk violating one of Mayor Jasper's many restrictions. "Well…I could…find stuff for you to do…if you wanted. Help you out a little. I can't do much, since I am a police officer. But I could try and find odd-jobs around town for you two. Sound good?" Their response was as good as he could have hoped for. They weren't enthusiastic, but they were grateful nonetheless. Kachi gave them a friendly smile. "Good! And look, the guild is right at the end of this street."

Keski and Bolt's eyes followed where his paw was pointing. There, situated between a small warehouse and the palisade wall that surrounded the town, was a ramshackle three-story structure cobbled together from an impossible variety of materials. Painted with vibrant colors, the walls and shutters made of various woods rose above the town with energetic dominance. The door, however, was framed in reinforced stone and banded in iron, reinforcing it against all hostile intentions. The wood-shingled roof had several patched portions, giving evidence of fires and heavy impacts that had torn holes through it in the past. If the walls could talk, they would certainly have many spell-binding stories to tell.

"Looks…interesting," Keski said doubtfully.

"I like it!" Bolt declared, "Let's go!" He was about to take off at full speed, but Keski just managed to snag the scruff of his neck and yank him to a halt. "Ow! Hey!"

"I am _not _letting you run off again!" Keski growled.

"Probably a wise idea…" Kachi said with a chuckle, "Why don't I lead the way?"

"Please," Keski said with a nod.

Upon approaching the guild, the three's ears began picking up what sounded like several voices shouting and various objects being thrown about coming from inside. Kachi ignored it, but Keski regarded the building with suspicion. The pikachu knocked on the front door, but a loud crash masked it. Bolt jumped back from the door in alarm, fur on end, and Keski growled. Their escort glanced back at them.

"Oh, don't worry!" Kachi assured them, "They do this all the time."

"And how," Keski said sarcastically, "Is that not supposed to make me worry?" Kachi thought about it for a second, gave him a sheepish grin, and knocked on the door again. This time, someone answered. The door was pulled back violently, revealing a very annoyed gardevoir standing behind it, the sounds of a loud argument washing out from behind her.

"What?" she demanded harshly. Then, she saw who had knocked and her expression became much friendlier. "Oh, it's you Kachi. Forgive me. Team Firestrike and Snowpaw have been at it all day and my patience has reached its limits."

Kachi grinned. "What? You out of patience? Say it isn't so!"

She glared daggers at him. "Police or no, one more remark like that and you'll find yourself washed up in the gutter. Do I make myself clear?" Kachi rolled his eyes and nodded. Then, abruptly, they both laughed. "Oh dear," the gardevoir said, suppressing a giggle, "I'm beginning to sound like my mother."

Kachi shrugged nonchalantly. "It's your position as administrator. You used to be so much fun, but then you got promoted and now you're all responsible."

"Well you and Pyre became 'responsible' too, might I mention?" she countered, "How is he doing? I haven't seen much of either of you lately."

Kachi's expression turned to one of annoyance. "Sorry about that, Emerald. Mostly, we're stuck in the station making our own red tape. If it weren't for the occasional cooperative mission with you all, I think we'd fossilize in that room. Pyre complains a lot. He's not cut out for that sort of work. I think he's regretting not having joined the guild instead. As he puts it, 'females are so much more interested in a dashing adventurer than an officer who's grown soft from sitting behind a desk all day'."

Another loud crash came from inside. Emerald turned her head to look back over her shoulder. "I'd better put a stop to that before they break something important…Master Majyk wouldn't be pleased if they did destroy some fragile relic while he is away," she said, "But anyway, what brings you here? Is it a job request? Guildmaster Majyk and I would just love a long assignment to send these six on. Get them out of here for a bit."

Kachi sheepishly scratched one of his ears. "Well, it _is_ a job request, but not one that requires leaving the guild… Here, it's best if you just read it for yourself." He held out the paper he'd been carrying to her and it floated up to her hand. Bolt blinked in surprise, but didn't comment.

"Alright…" Emerald said slowly, reading over the paper, "So you want us to catch the two Pokémon standing right behind you and hold them until you can come pick them up? Their threat level is listed as 'not abnormally dangerous' and the handwriting is particularly bad, so Pyre must have wrote this. What exactly is their crime?"

"We jumped over the South Gate instead of going around and getting the proper identification, ma'am," Keski answered politely.

"Oh, well then," Emerald said, turning, "We'd be glad to play warden until things get ironed out for you. Come right on in, I'll make you some tea. After I deal with the six rabble-rousers in here. You're welcome to come in, too, Kachi, if you want."

Kachi shook his head. "Thanks, but no thanks. Meadow is already probably worried and I don't want her coming out to look for me."

Emerald nodded. "Well alright then. Some other time. Just make sure it's sometime soon!" Kachi grinned and saluted, turning and heading back down the street. Emerald ushered Bolt and Keski inside, bringing them into a small entry-hall with a few chairs along one wall and a great big mural of the night sky on the other. The caption above it read 'Welcome to the Starchaser Guild'.

Bolt was fascinated by it. Red stars, blue stars, bands of stars, constellations, even the moon was portrayed in vivid detail. There were a few peeling sections around the edges, but if you didn't look directly at them they didn't seem worth any attention. But in the very center, set apart from all the others, was a pure white star. The entire mural seemed to spin slightly as he stared at it, rotating around that one point. He blinked and the illusion was gone. Emerald and Keski had gone ahead a bit. Startled, he ran to catch up, heading toward the source of the racket.

"Blitz! Cyon!" Emerald shouted, striding into the next room, "What do you and your teammates think you're doing?!"

"Stay out of this, Emerald," a deep voice growled, "We're settling this rivalry right here right now!"

"It doesn't matter who wins this fight because we will always be better at everything else," a male, but much higher pitched, voice shot back, "I'd like to see _you_ plan the Harvest Festival!"

"Yeah!" a female voice agreed, "You're just a big muscle-head, Blitz! We have _style_!"

"Shut up!" another female voice snapped at the first, "You don't know the first thing about him! All you Snowpaws do is primp and pretty yourselves! _We_ do the real work and that is why _we _will reach Master Rank first!"

Emerald took a deep breath. "WILL YOU ALL BE QUIET?!" There was instant silence. "_Thank_ you," she said acidly. Bolt and Keski peered into the room from behind her and gaped.

What they saw was a room that normally functioned as a mess hall. Currently, it was just a mess. Wooden plates and bowls were scattered around the room, a few chairs were broken into splinters, and the soup that had once been in a pot lay pooling on the floor. Two long tables ran across the room and behind them was a long counter with a kitchen behind it and stools in front of it, vaguely reminiscent of a bar in an inn, that could function either as a buffet or a cooking space depending on the time of day. All three surfaces were in disarray, the implements that usually rested on them scattered across the floor. Also, melting ice hung from random places around the room, including the now-extinguished chandelier, and several things were on fire.

Six Pokémon were in the room already, three ice-types and three fire-types. In the latter category, there were a burly arcanine with wild, haphazard fur standing by the spacious fire-place, a monferno hanging from one of the rafters, and a female flareon standing on top of the counter in a wide, combat-ready stance. The other three were a trio of glaceons, two females and one male, standing in the middle of the room on what could only be described as an ice fortress, which was partially melted. Most likely, this was a work of the three fire-types in the room.

Keski pointed to a tablecloth that was already halfway burnt. "Um…I don't meant to seem rude, but does anyone care that THE ROOM IS ON FIRE?!"

Emerald glared at the six combatants. "Well?"

The male glaceon smiled winningly. "Yes, Emerald?"

Emerald looked directly at him and, in a tone that brooked no argument, said, "Put out the fire, Cyon. Now."

"Ah…yes! Immediately! Sorry!" the glaceon stammered. He nodded to the two females beside him and they simultaneously released a chilling wave of frost that blew out the fires and caused Bolt and Keski to shiver. Emerald's eyes glowed slightly and the frost parted around her, forming an oddly shaped bubble that shielded her. Soon, the frigid wind ceased.

"Thank you," Emerald said tersely. Under her breath, she muttered, "I leave them alone for one minute and they almost burn the place down…" The three ice-types exchanged glances nervously, but she wasn't interested in them anymore. "So Blitz," she said, addressing the arcanine, "care to explain exactly why this place was on fire? Why you were using fire attacks at all in a _wood building_?"

The arcanine growled. "None of your business!"

"It _is_ my business!" Emerald snapped, "I'm the guild's chief administrator! Things which threaten the guild, like, oh I don't know, _fire_ in the guildhall, are definitely my business!" She huffed and took a step back to massage her temples. "You know what? You all have been at it all day. I should have expected you'd get into a fight. I'll let Majyk deal with you all when he gets back with the others." She paused. "Oh, and I should probably introduce you to our new guests. They'll be staying with us until the police can sort out what to do with them. They're paying us to keep them too, which is a bonus." She turned to them. "I don't believe Kachi told me your names…"

"He didn't," Keski answered, "This is Bolt. He and the word 'trouble' are inseparable. My name is Keski. I'm his friend and his father asked me to come along on this little trip to protect him, which means it is my thankless task to try and keep him _out_ of trouble."

Bolt's smirked. "And it's my job to make him lighten up a bit!"

"_Excuse_ me?" Keski protested indignantly. Bolt giggled.

One by one, the three glaceons descended to earth and approached the two, adopting graceful airs. "Hello," Cyon said, making an elegant bow, "I am Cyon and I bid you welcome."

"My name is Yuki," the female to his left said with a confident smirk.

"And I'm Cia," the third added, a genuine, friendly smile on her lips.

"And we're the sensational, celestial siblings of Team Snowpaw!" they said in perfect unison, "The most beautiful team in the Starchaser Guild!"

"And don't you forget it!" Yuki said.

"Nice to meet you!" Bolt said, nodding.

"Did you by any chance rehearse that beforehand?" Keski asked casually.

"Yes!" the three answered in unison with matching grins.

Keski chuckled. "Thought so."

Yuki leaned forward toward Bolt. "Quite the necklace you have there."

"It's beautiful!" Cia added.

Bolt grinned happily, proudly displaying it. "Thanks! It was a gift from my father."

The flareon huffed and strode forward, headed for Keski so as not to come close to Team Snowpaw. "Hello," she said, "My name is Corona. The prankster hanging from the ceiling is Rafasa." The monferno grinned cheekily and waved.

Keski nodded. "Good to know. Thanks."

Corona smiled and glanced over her shoulder at the arcanine. He rolled his eyes and sighed. "Yeah, I'll introduce myself. Name's Blitz, you two. I'm the leader of these three. We're Team Firestrike."

"You don't seem very friendly…" Bolt observed disapprovingly. Keski gave him a sharp, warning glance, but it was ignored.

Blitz smirked. "You want friendly? Talk to my teammates. I'm a fighter, born and raised. You got someone who needs a bashing, you come to me. I stick to what I know."

"Which does not include personal hygiene…" Cyon muttered under his breath.

"Ya say something, pretty boy?" Blitz growled.

"Me? No, never!" Cyon replied with a mock-injured tone, "I'm surprised you'd accuse me of such a dreadful thing!"

Blitz snarled. "Come here, you!" He crouched to leap, but Emerald stepped forward, eyes glowing, and raised a hand. He ran snout-first right into an invisible wall, not doing much damage but stunning him.

"That's enough!" Emerald snapped, "There will be no more fighting tonight. I suggest you all clean up this mess and go to bed." Her eyes glowed a shade brighter. "Or do I need to demonstrate the power of a Pokémon that has _already_ reached Master Rank?"

"No ma'am!" Team Snowpaw chorused, immediately beginning work on the mess around them. Team Firestrike exchanged glances, sighed, and joined in.

Emerald nodded in approval and returned her attention to Bolt and Keski. "Now, as for you two, we will just have to put you in the prisoner's quarters. Sorry, but we are supposed to be watching you and it's the only bedroom with a lock on the outside of the door." Neither Keski or Bolt looked pleased. The lucario crossed his arms and frowned.

"And will you be using that lock?" he growled.

"Not unless it becomes necessary," Emerald replied, "The way we do things around here when we are charged with keeping track of Pokémon is implant a small psychic signature that either I or the Guildmaster can detect. So in other words, if you try to escape, we'll know about it. And from the looks of things around here, Team Firestrike would enjoy the chance to set things on fire without any repercussions. Are we clear?"

"We won't escape," Keski assured her.

She smiled. "Good! From what Kachi said, I figured that would be the case. If it turns out we can trust you, we'll even let you explore the town a bit. Under supervision of course." She placed a palm to each of their foreheads. "Now hold still. I'm going to implant the psychic trackers now."

"Will this hurt?" Bolt asked, "It's going to hurt, isn't it?"

"No, it won't," Emerald replied.

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"You're positive?"

"Yes!"

Bolt looked at her suspiciously. "You're just saying that to make me relax, right? That's what the healers say when they need to remove a splinter, but it always hurts! It…" Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his head and reeled back. "AAHH! IT HURTS! I TOLD YOU IT WOULD!"

"Done!" Emerald said cheerfully. Keski looked between her and Bolt questioningly.

"I didn't feel anything…" he muttered.

"Oh? How strange…" Emerald said innocently, "Anyway, once your friend gets up, I'll show you to your room."

Keski sighed and helped Bolt rise. "Come on, Bolt, let's go…"

"Okay…" he replied, rubbing his head.

Emerald led them past the six Pokémon busy cleaning up and down a flight of stairs into a lower, basement level. It wasn't anything particularly special. One hallway ran down the length of it, branching off into two other, smaller hallways. Bedrooms and storage were on either side with the occupants names carved across the top. At the near end of the hall on the left was one labeled 'Team Snowpaw' and on the right was 'Team Firestrike' with the respective members listed below the signs. Further down was another door labeled 'Team Tremor'. Past that were doors that led to smaller rooms, each with only one Pokémon's name above it. 'Shadow', 'Emerald', 'Slicer', and 'Mendigo' were the names above those doors.

"So these are all the members of the guild?" Keski asked, trying to guess what sort of Pokémon held each of the new names.

"Yes, the active members that is," Emerald replied, leading them toward the end of the hall, "On these side halls we have Skipper's room, he's our cook, and the infirmary, where our two healers live. Cotton is currently out gathering berries and supplies for medicine, but Medi is…"

The door directly to their left as she said this opened and a weavile with recently toweled fur stepped out of a room labeled 'Bath'. She stopped abruptly when she saw the three already in the hall, eyes scanning over Keski and Bolt, sizing them up. Almost instantly, she relaxed again. "Oh hello, Emerald," she said, stretching her body and receiving a rewarding 'pop' from her spine, "Who are these two?"

Emerald nodded a greeting. "Hello Medi. These are just two Pokémon that Chief Pyre is paying us to keep an eye on until they sort a few things out. Bolt, Keski, as I was saying, Cotton is gone, but Medi is still here." The two greeted her politely.

The weavile smirked and winked at them. "Hey there, you two. I'm the town surgeon. Appropriate job, don't you think?" She brandished her two sets of claws with a smug smile. "I could even get through your skin, lucario, if something needed to be cut out. Or if you didn't pay me for my services." Keski took a nervous step back and Medi laughed. "I'm just playing with you. I work for free, since everything I _need_ is taken care of by the guild."

"Oookay…" Keski responded, stepping around her, "It's, uh, nice to meet you, Medi, but we really should be..."

"What's it like being a surgeon?" Bolt asked her curiously. Keski muttered a mild curse under his breath.

Medi shrugged. "Very delicate, tedious work. That is, until you cut someone open and it's all paws on deck to keep them alive until you can sew 'em up again. So…tedious studying followed by nerve-wracking challenges. Make sense?"

"Yep!" Bolt replied cheerfully.

"Hmm, yes, that's very nice," Emerald interjected, "But I've got to get these two settled now. After that, I'm making some more tea, if you want any."

Medi waved the question aside. "No thanks. I think I'm done with today. Going to bed." She yawned and stretched again as she passed Bolt and Keski. They watched as she walked with a swaying motion to the Infirmary, turning to wave and smirk at them once more before disappearing.

"Well she seems nice!" Bolt declared.

"Just a little too nice…" Keski muttered under his breath.

"She's been a great help to this town," Emerald said, a note of apology in her tone, "She's saved several lives while she's been here, so we forgive her a bit of…oddness."

"I see…" Keski said doubtfully. There was a stretch of silence.

"Yes, well," Emerald said awkwardly, "Let's get you to your room…at last."

Down at the very end of the hall was a reinforced iron door with several bars and bolts securing it. Emerald quickly undid them all and held the door open for the pair of travelers. They stepped inside a comfortable but not extravagant room. There were four beds, all bolted to the floor, with as many storage chests and chairs, also permanently fixed to the ground. Bolt hesitantly clambered on top of one and flopped down on it.

"Hmm, well, it's not as comfortable as my bed at home…but…" Suddenly, he burrowed under the blanket, wrapping it around himself, and snuggled into the straw-stuffed mattress. "It's still nice and warm!"

"This will…work…" Keski said doubtfully, sitting on the edge of the second bed. "Is anyone else staying here?" He indicated the two empty ones.

"No, just you two for now," Emerald replied, "So, you can set that backpack down, if you want. The baths are currently available, though I expect the Guildmaster, Skipper, and Team Tremor back shortly with our two trainees, so they may open not be for long. I'll be upstairs making sure the others keep working. Also, watch out for Mendigo. He likes to hide behind dark corners and scare people."

"Thank you," Keski replied, leaning back on the bed and sighing, letting all the tension and stress of the day flow out of him into the mattress. Soft snores rose from under the blanket where Bolt was curled up. Keski glanced over and smiled softly. "Well, he's out like a light…I'll be up in a bit, I guess. I just need a minute alone."

Emerald nodded and gave him a kind smile. "Of course! If you decide to take a bath, we have a small reservoir of water that you can draw from. It refills itself, so don't worry about that. If you want hot water, just stoke the fire and put it in a cauldron, let it sit for a few minutes, then pour it in the tub."

"Alright," Keski said with a grateful smile, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Emerald replied, stepping out and heading back upstairs. Keski rolled onto his side and stared at the wall for a few minutes, just thinking about everything that had happened, processing it. He wasn't trying to accomplish any particular purpose, just going over the events in order to gain the proper perspective on them. In short, he was meditating. He came out of it feeling pretty good about the situation. They'd hit a snag in their journey, sure, but they were warm, safe, and Emerald had mentioned something about food…

"Bath first, before everyone else arrives," he said to himself. He rose, but his stomach growled loudly. "Well…maybe…maybe the bath can wait…"

He thought about it, pacing back and forth. The baths were probably all in the same room, which meant that if he wanted the place to himself he'd have to wait until much later when everyone had gone to bed. On the other hand, his stomach was very upset at him for ignoring it for so long. In the end, hunger won out over hygiene.

"Besides," he said, "I can probably just slip in sometime when everyone's occupied elsewhere anyways." Satisfied, he decided to venture upstairs and see if he could find some food for himself and Bolt. The jolteon was already fast asleep, but he would be very hungry when he woke up.

He paused a moment by Bolt's bed, listening to him snore quietly. The lucario smiled softly and patted the jolteon's shoulders. "Sleep well," he said, "At least like this you can't get in trouble."

When he did make it upstairs, he found a remarkably cleaner room than when he had first visited. Emerald was seated by the fire, drinking tea from a pewter mug. In one corner, Team Snowpaw sat talking in hushed voices, giggling about something as they groomed each other. Their ice-coated paws ran through each other's fur like combs, making all their coats sheen and sparkle. Keski watched them for a moment in slight amusement. They weren't a bad bunch. A bit silly, but quite polite. His thoughts were interrupted by the rumbling of his stomach. He winced and began searching for food.

The door behind the counter looked promising. Maybe it was a sort of pantry. He walked over and reached for the handle, about to enter, when Emerald's voice called out. "Don't," she ordered, "Skipper doesn't like anyone entering his kingdom, I mean, _pantry_ without his permission. If you're hungry, we have food stored under the counter."

"Thanks!" Keski called back.

"Don't mention it," she answered, taking a sip of tea.

Keski stuck his nose under the counter, searching for the promised meal. There was an Oran Berry pie already half-eaten sitting right in front of him, which he snagged, as well as a few biscuits, which he also grabbed. Setting his haul on the counter, he grabbed a platter from the cupboard to transport it down to his quarters when a heavy knock came at the front door.

"Open up! I'm starved!" a deep voice called.

"Well! Looks like they're back!" Emerald said with a smile, "Yuki, would you get the door for them please?"

"Yes ma'am!" the glaceon responded enthusiastically. She bounded over and disappeared into the entry hall. Keski heard the front door open and the sounds of many footsteps approaching. He paused what he was doing, curious as to exactly who would appear. Suddenly, a flygon burst into the room, a huge grin on its green face.

"Ah, it's good to be home!" he said, "Now, where is the food? I'm hungry and I want to grab some before the walking stomach get it all."

"Excuse me?" said a large snorlax as he entered with great, lumbering strides, "I'm not a walking stomach!"

The flygon raised what passed for an eyebrow. "Oh no?"

"I can talk too!" the snorlax said with a pleased grin. They both burst out laughing.

"Well, we should have enough food for all of you," Emerald replied, "So take whatever you want. Just make sure that everyone else gets some before you take it all."

They both grinned and hurried over to the counter, barely stopping to introduce themselves to Keski before plundering the food supplies. As it turned out, they were both members of Team Tremor. The snorlax's name, or nickname, really, was Stuffy and the flygon was called Sunsoarer. They had both run ahead of the others in order to get to the food first.

Shortly thereafter, the others arrived. A female sandslash named Naila strode in and immediately ran over to secure some dinner for herself, muttering about being on a team with two numbskulls who only thought of their stomachs right before she began shoveling food into her mouth just as fast as they did. Next came Skipper, the cook, who turned out to be a floatzel with a mariner's accent. He was quite pleased to see his edible creations being so enthusiastically enjoyed by Team Tremor and introduced himself to Keski with a hearty pawshake and a slap on the back.

Keski subtly read their auras, trying to get a handle on how powerful they were. As expected from Pokémon whose lives were devoted to fighting, they were quite strong and gave off a sense of confidence in themselves and their abilities. But also, there was an unmistakable sense that they were satisfied with life, even the rough and tumble portions of it. He quickly scanned the others and found the same thing. He found this oddly comforting and he began to lower his guard, satisfied that the guild did not pose any immediate danger.

A few seconds after Team Tremor and Skipper had settled in, the door opened once again and three Pokémon entered the guild. One, the first one Keski noticed because of the unmistakable aura of power practically radiating from him, was an elderly alakazam who floated into the room, suspended in the air by his own power. His fur showed signs of greying, especially his mustache, but his eyes had a piercing light to them that warned of a powerful threat if you chose to provoke him.

Emerald rose to greet him with a welcoming smile. "Master Majyk! How was the training session? Did our new recruits meet your expectations?"

"It went well and yes they did," he replied, patting the two exhausted Pokémon with him on the head, "These two worked hard. I'm quite pleased with them."

Keski blinked when he finally managed to pull his attention away from the alakazam and looked at the other two Pokémon. One was a zigzagoon, which was living up to its species' name and failing to walk in a straight line. Keski assumed that this was not so much from genetics as it was from fatigue. The other Pokémon though…

"What is a riolu doing this far south?" he asked no one in particular. Unfortunately, it was loud enough for the Pokémon in question to hear. His gaze snapped up and he nearly stumbled, either from tiredness or surprise, when he saw Keski.

He pointed right at the lucario, open-mouthed. "Where'd you come from?" he demanded before turning to the guildmaster behind him. "What's he doing here? I thought I was the only one of my kind in the area!"

Master Majyk raised an eyebrow, amused. "How am I supposed to know that? I have been here no longer than you have Ryke."

"Can it wait until morning?" the zigzagoon asked, almost falling asleep on her feet, "I'm wiped out…"

"Yes, you have worked rather hard today, haven't you?" Master Majyk said with a chuckle, "Go on to bed then, if you really can't stay awake. Though I was planning on asking Skipper to make something special for you two."

"On second thought, I'll just lie down by the fire until its ready…" she replied, beginning her stumbling, meandering way over there.

"What is it?" Ryke demanded eagerly.

"And here I thought you wanted to know what our friend is doing here?" Majyk replied, indicating Keski. Emerald approached him, handing him the paper containing Pyre's job request. "Oh, I see…so that's the reason." He glanced up at Keski. "Welcome then, for however long you end up staying."

Keski bowed politely. "Thanks. I just wish it was under better circumstances…"

Ryke huffed and crossed his arms. "What circumstances? Tell me!" Emerald and Majyk gave him reproving looks. "Please?"

After the situation was explained to him and the other newcomers, who were too busy eating to show much interest, Ryke approached him curiously. "So, you're a criminal then? How'd you get black fur?"

Keski glared. "I'm not a criminal and that's none of your business."

"I want black fur though!" Ryke responded, "You look awesome!"

"Well…" Keski said, a bit off-guard from, "Um, thanks?"

"You're welcome!" Ryke grinned, walking all the way around Keski, examining him. The black lucario shifted awkwardly under his gaze, not used to this sort of attention. He looked pleadingly at Emerald, who wasn't paying attention to them anymore but was discussing some business with Majyk. He glanced back down at Ryke and cleared his throat.

"So…how'd you get here?" he asked, wincing at the awkwardness of that statement. Ryke, however, didn't mind.

"I'm an orphan!" he replied with way too much enthusiasm, "Never knew my parents, was raised by the guild, and now I'm training to become the strongest explorer ever!" He struck a dramatic pose, fist raised into the air. "With my partner's help of course…"

"The, uh, zigzagoon?" Keski guessed.

"Yep! We're Team Tails!" Ryke declared proudly, "Because we both have such large tails. See?" He displayed his proudly.

Keski rolled his eyes. "Yes, I know. I was a riolu once too."

"Oh, right, duh!" Ryke smacked himself on the forehead. "Did you have black fur then?"

"No…"

"Oh, so your fur turned black when you evolved?" Ryke grinned. "Cool! Can you show me how to do that?"

"No," Keski said flatly, turning. He decided it was time to leave and go back to the room he and Bolt shared before the jolteon woke up and realized he was hungry.

"Aw come on!" Ryke pled, tugging on his tail. Keski yanked it out of his paws and curled it up against his back.

"Then answer is still no," he answered.

"Oi!" Skipper called, glaring at Stuffy from behind the counter, "Where'd all me Oran Raisins go, eh?"

The snorlax blinked, looking up from his meal. "I didn't touch them…" he said doubtfully, reaching for a loaf of bread.

"No ye don't, ye glutton!" Skipper fired a short spurt of water at his paw, but the snorlax pulled it back sharply and the water struck Keski in the shoulder instead, causing him to yelp in surprise. He looked up with wide eyes, suddenly afraid for seemingly no reason. Skipper was instantly apologetic. "Ah, sorry…I missed me target…"

"Oh, it's fine!" Keski said a bit too earnestly, covering the struck area with both his paws, "I'll just go to bed now! See you all later! Bye!" He grabbed the tray of food he had gathered and edged sideways toward the stairs to the basement, keeping his side turned away from them. The entire room's-worth of Pokémon watched him in confusion, amusement, and a bit of worry as he disappeared down the stairs, slamming the door behind him. The sound of his running footsteps quickly receded downwards until it could no longer be heard.

"Well that was weird…" Ryke said, voicing the common opinion.

"Hmm…" Emerald frowned at the water on the floor, "Well this is odd."

"What is?" Skipper asked.

"Well, this water…it almost looks like it's been mixed with ink..."

Meanwhile, Keski made it to his room and slammed the door, leaning against it as he regained his breath. Eventually, he calmed down enough and heaved a sigh of relief. "That was close…" He craned his head to examine his shoulder. To his dismay, it was no longer quite black. Gold had begun to peek through, though it was still quite dull.

"I need to get a better dye…one that water won't wash out…" Keski muttered, going over to his pack and pulling out a bottle. He poured a bit of the black liquid inside it on his shoulder, rubbing it in to restore the black color. He stared at the spot for a long while, wrapped up in his own thoughts. After a while, he shook his head and sighed. After a moment's thought, he went to lie down.

"And so ends a very full day…" he muttered.

* * *

Many miles away, south along the coast, lay the city of Triton, the capitol of the Seafoam Empire. It was a glorious city carved into the natural rock along the seaside with such skill that it appeared to be built solely out of giant shells stuck in the sand that soared up into the air. The walls surrounding the city alone were a sight that stunned many visitors, much less the parks, pools, and palaces that filled the interior. The emperor's city, it was called, and well it deserved the name.

In the very center of the city, far from the squalid slums that were piled high down by the docks, was what many called the most magnificent structure erected by mere mortals. A pale-white palace that was exactly the color of the shells that washed up on the beach. Built to replicate the helical structure of an omanyte, it towered above the city, a firm reminder to all the citizens of imperial majesty and power.

In that palace, in what was considered a small office but easily dwarfed the mess hall of the Starchaser Guild, sat a sableye reading over various reports from around the empire. Most would assume, given that this was the center of the government bureaucracy, that he was going over taxes, ensuring that everyone had paid what their rulers considered a fair amount. This was not the case. In reality, the papers that surrounded him were filled with stories and fact-checks on Pokémon who were said to have extraordinary power. Most were rumor or exaggeration, but a select few he carefully inserted into a small box beside him with almost reverent care.

"Let's see here…" he muttered, "been over the borderlands, the registered merchants, the _un_registered merchants, and the military. A few possibilities, but nothing special. Heh. This is turning out to be more difficult than I thought." He leaned back in his chair, put his feet up on his desk, hands behind his head, and sighed. "I'd expect a Sealbearer to stand out a bit. Eh, who am I kidding? They're probably all very good at hiding it. Maybe I picked the wrong empire to come to. Maybe there aren't any here at all. If that's the case, I'm wasting my time. I hate wasting time. And money." A glint entered his eyes. "_Especially_ money."

A knock came at his door. "Enter!" he called, expecting a servant to come with the wine he had ordered earlier. Only the best of course. Instead, the emolga who was his personal assistant entered and bowed. "Yes? What is it?"

"Lord Sable," she said, "We've found something. One of the guilds…"

"Yes, yes, the heroes of time," Sable interrupted, waving it away, "I know all about them. They're not the ones I'm looking for. They're too young."

"No sir," the emolga said, "Not them. I took the liberty of checking up on the leaders and top staff of all the guilds." She snapped her fingers and a few low-ranking servants wheeled in trolleys filled with stacks of paper. "As you can see, it's quite a list."

"Yeah, I have eyes," Sable said casually, "And? What did you find?"

"Well, several potential targets, sir," the emolga replied, picking up a stack and carrying it over to his desk, "An aggron who leads the Ironhand Guild. He must be almost a century by now."

"Nope. Still too young."

The emolga huffed. "Then, if you wouldn't mind telling me, exactly how old of Pokémon am I supposed to be looking for?! It would _really_ narrow down the results."

Sable leaned back in his chair, eyes searching the ceiling as if he could find the answer there. "Oh…I don't know. I'd say at least…over two-hundred. That's the last time we know the seals were passed on."

His assistant blinked and a smile crossed her face. "Well then! That's better! Let's see…" She pulled a file out from the middle of the stack. "Here we are! Master Majyk of the Starchaser Guild! He's our target!"

Sable wagged a claw at her. "Don't be so hasty. There are a lot of powerful Pokémon who _aren't_ one of the seven who I'm looking for." He flipped open the first page and glanced over the file. "Huh. Interesting." He leaned forward, a grin slowly spreading over his face. "Very interesting…"

The emolga crossed her arms proudly. "So! Is he the one you want?"

"Eh, might be. Guildmasters are powerful Pokémon regardless. Kinda comes with the territory, you know?" Sable said non-committedly, "But he's the only lead we've got so far." With a burst of energy, the sableye burst out from behind his desk and strode for the door. "Getting tired of this place anyway."

His assistant took to the air and flew around him excitedly. "So, we're going?" she asked breathlessly, "You mean I found one?!"

"You found someone of interest, that's for sure," Sable replied, "but yep, pack things up here, doll. We're going to Seaside Crest!" He paused and then added somewhat mareepishly. "Just as soon as we can figure out where it is on the map…"

**AN: Thoughts? Questions? Predictions? Leave it down below!**


	3. Chapter 3: A Shadow Falls on All of Us

**Chapter 3:**

**A Shadow falls on All of Us**

_"__It is certain because it is impossible," Tertullian_

"So Emerald, tell me, what do you think of Keski and Bolt?"

Emerald didn't respond to Majyk's question immediately, preferring to take a sip of tea first. They were in the top level of the Starchaser guildhall, which was smaller than the two below it and consisted of a single room: the Guildmaster's quarters. The only way into it was by levitating or by ladder. Flying wouldn't work as the angle necessary for a proper landing was next to impossible to achieve.

"I think they are decent Pokémon," she replied thoughtfully, "I scanned their minds. Their thoughts revealed nothing to be concerned about."

Majyk nodded, accepting her assessment. "Then the question becomes, what are we supposed to do with them?"

"Well, there's always a long list of chores that need doing," Emerald suggested, "Oh, and don't forget, today is the first day of self-defense class for the little ones. I believe we have fourteen or so signed up from around the town."

The alakazam chuckled. "That's right, it is today, isn't it? I'm not quite sure what I would do without you to remind me of these things, my dear," he said, "Who did you assign to lead it this year?"

Emerald smiled nervously. "Mendigo volunteered…"

The guildmaster looked alarmed. "Oh dear…please tell me you didn't let him…"

"No one else wanted the job…" Emerald replied apologetically.

"Well that is unusual…" Majyk said, disgruntled, "Usually Cyon and his sisters love teaching the children."

"Normally, that would be the case," Emerald said with a heavy sigh, "but this is the year we have Malik in the class."

Majyk blinked once, understanding entering his eyes. "Well, I suppose the children won't be _too_ traumatized if we let Mendigo teach…"

* * *

Bolt languidly rolled over, enjoying his bed. It was warm and fairly soft. The feather-stuffed one at home was more comfortable, but he could get used to this for now.

He didn't want to get up yet, but he could tell just by listening that no one else was in the room, unless they were really good at holding their breath. That meant Keski had already risen, probably to find some spot to meditate in. He liked to do that, though he insisted that it was something all lucarios practiced. Bolt wasn't so sure. Why would an entire race like to sit around with their eyes closed for no other reason than to think? Bolt thought best when he was running. Well, either that or things would just randomly occur to him that often had nothing to do with the current situation, but were extremely helpful later on.

Something stirred by his ear, which for some reason was poking out from the blanket. He flicked it in annoyance, but it persisted. He huffed and rolled over, steadily drawing closer and closer to the point where he wouldn't be able to slip back into slumber. Then he heard a whisper and a chill went down his spine.

He shot upright, fur standing out at random angles with crackles of electricity running through it. He found himself staring right into a brown, husk-like thing that floated right above his head. He yelped in surprise and recoiled, landing on his back. A hollow-sounding chuckle came from the creature. It didn't strike Bolt like a real voice, more like an echo.

"Got you good," it said.

Bolt stared at it in apprehension. "W-what are you?"

"Aw come on, kid," the hollow creature said in an injured tone, "I'm a shedinja. Haven't you heard of my kind before."

"No, sorry…" Bolt answered apologetically. A heavy sigh came from the shedinja. Bolt tilted his head to the side, fear fading and being replaced with his usual curiosity. "Are you a member of the guild then?"

"Yep," the ghost-type answered, "I'm Mendigo. Well, that's what everyone calls me. I had another name, but lost it when I became this. Now I'm just an empty shell, a beggar of sorts. But hey, at least I'm not entirely dead!"

Bolt blinked in surprise. "Not…entirely? What is that supposed to mean?" His eyes examined the Pokémon before him. Even when it was talking, its body did not move. Bolt couldn't detect even a single twitch, even though it appeared to have arms. Not even its eyes so much as shifted. Its entire body shifted when it wanted to look at something directly.

"Well, when I evolved, I split in two," he said, "My other half got my body, but I got the personality. I think I got the better end of the deal. But, what you see here is all I got. I am literally an empty shell. One really good hit and I'm done for. So, I'm almost, but not quite, entirely dead."

Bolt tilted his head to the side. "And…why are you in my room?"

Even without the ability to actually smile, Mendigo's tone made it clear that is what he was doing. "Well! We're having breakfast! And the guildmaster wants you there because that's when we go over the day's schedule and…" He trailed off as Bolt darted out of the room, energized by the mention of food. "Well! I guess Stuffy and Sunsoarer are going to have competition for food this morning! Now…to prepare for Malik's arrival. Hmm…I suppose I will practice being creepy." He began floating slowly toward the door, absolutely silent. His blank eyes bored straight ahead, daring anyone to pass beneath his gaze. "Yep!" he said cheerfully to himself, "That should do it! Now I just need to hide in the rafters and surprise him."

At that moment, Bolt skidded to a stop right in front of the mess hall counter, coming to rest in a sitting position. "HiI'mhungrydoyouhaveanyfoodthanks!" he said. Skipper stared over the counter at him, blinking in surprise. "Hey! I didn't see you last night!" Bolt observed.

"No ye didn't," Skipper replied, "So, ye be the jolteon that be staying with us then?" Bolt nodded eagerly. "And I gather that ye be hungry too, aye?" Bolt grinned and nodded fervently. "Well then, ye can have some o' this Oran Berry oatmeal. Tis' healthy for ye."

Bolt looked doubtful. "I don't really have hands or paws that can function as hands…"

"That be fine," Skipper said, waving his concern away as he ladled out a healthy portion of oatmeal, "I'll set it at your place for ye."

"Thanks!" Bolt said thankfully, "Um…so where do I want to sit…oh! There's Keski!" He darted over to where his travel companion sat and leapt onto the bench beside him. "Good morning!"

Keski started I surprise. "Ah! Oh, hey Bolt. You're up I see."

Bolt looked at him curiously. "You're awfully jumpy this morning. Normally, I can't scare you no matter what I try. Did something happen?"

"No…" Keski lied. Bolt frowned in confusion, but then Skipper arrived with his food and he forgot all about it, preferring to chow down. Skipper watched in amusement as the oatmeal disappeared in a matter of seconds.

"More please," Bolt requested politely.

"Sure thing," Skipper replied with a chuckle, taking the bowl back to refill it. However, a bell chimed from the head of the first long table and all the members of the Starchaser Guild immediately stopped what they were doing and turned their attention in the direction it had come from. Emerald stood there, holding a small service bell, and behind her Majyk floated. Bolt blinked, staring at him.

"Who is he?" he whispered to Keski.

"The guildmaster," Keski replied, "Now be quiet."

"Okay."

Majyk rose a bit higher in the air, allowing everyone to see him easily. "Good morning, everyone," he said, "I trust you all slept well." He received mixed responses from the assembly. "Ah, well then, you will all be grateful to know that today is not a terribly busy one for us. The only big event that I expect all of you to help with is preparations for the first day of defense class. Mendigo has volunteered to lead it this year, so he will be preparing for that. The rest of you are to listen to Cyon. He, Yuki, and Cia are in charge of setup. Also, we need to make a supply run down to the shopping district. Skipper has reported that the pantry is looking a little bare."

"Not that the rest of us would know!" Ryke called, "Since he never lets anyone else in there!"

Skipper glared at him. "Whenever I let one of ye rascals in, things go missin'!"

"Hey! That sort of rhymed!" Bolt said happily, drawing a wide variety of strange looks from the others. Keski sighed and put his head on the table.

"Bolt…please don't do that again when in a room full of other people," he muttered.

"Continuing!" Majyk said sharply, regaining everyone's attention, "Would anyone like to volunteer for shopping duty that does not already have a task?" Grinning, Stuffy and Sunsoarer raised their paws. "Very well. You two shall go." The dragon and giant gave each other a high-five. "_But_, if the cost of the food you bring home does not match how much money you spent, you will both be put on cleaning duty for the next month." Suddenly, the pair was not nearly as enthusiastic as before. "Now, as for the rest of you, once everything is ready for the class today, you are free to do as you see fit. Are there any questions?" Ryke raised a paw. "Yes, Ryke?"

"I heard Malik is in this year's class. Is that true?" he asked.

"Yes, in fact, he is," Majyk replied. Ryke grinned deviously. "_And_ you are not to antagonize him!"

"Aw…" Ryke muttered, crossing his arms and sulking a bit.

"We do not need any more friction between us and the governor," Majyk said sternly, "If I hear of you causing trouble with him, there will be consequences. Understand?"

"Yes guildmaster…" Ryke grumbled.

"Good. Now, let's finish breakfast and get to work. Everyone arrives at noon, remember, so we must hurry."

Soon, breakfast was cleared away and Cyon was busy ordering everyone about, shifting the tables, moving the benches and chairs, hanging banners, and turning the main hall from a eating area into a wide, empty space where young Pokémon could practice their battle skills without fear of running into something. Then came the spreading of mats, removal of breakable objects, and giving the floor an extra sweeping so everything was nice and clean for the class. Learning that he was allowed to even assign Bolt and Keski various tasks inside the guild, the leader of Team Snowpaw instructed them to make and hang a large banner that would welcome the kits to the guild.

"And make it pretty!" he called after them as they went to go get the supplies from the second story.

"Pretty, eh? Right…" Keski muttered.

"Well, it won't be _so_ bad, right?" Bolt asked. Keski growled in response. "Well, you'll never enjoy yourself with _that_ attitude!" Bolt said with a huff. Keski rolled his eyes as they ascended the flight of stairs leading up.

The second story wasn't nearly as large as those below it, since the main hall was already two stories tall. There was a library, a few locked doors, and the supply room, which is where Bolt and Keski went to. They found the banner and the supplies right where Cyon had instructed them to look and spread the banner out on the ground. Then, they proceeded to stare at it blankly.

"So…" Keski began, "What are we supposed to write on it?"

"Um…" Bolt thought about it, "I have no idea…"

"Maybe we should just write 'Welcome'?" Keski suggested.

"No! That's too boring!" Bolt said indignantly, "It should at least be 'Welcome to the Starchaser Guild!' Oh wait, that's what the mural says already…" The lucario rolled his eyes.

"Let's just put 'Welcome to Defense Class'. That's what the guildmaster called it, so it makes sense that we should call it that," he reasoned. Bolt nodded in agreement.

"I'll hold it flat, you paint the words on," he said, "You dye your fur, so you're better with this stuff than I am."

Keski scoffed and knelt down, grabbing paint and a brush. "Yeah, we need to find better dye, by the way. I got hit by a stray water gun and some of it washed out last night. Had to hurry back downstairs before they noticed."

"Oh…" Bolt considered the matter. "Have you ever tried making your fur _really_ turn color?"

"Bolt…that is pretty much impossible," Keski replied, beginning to paint the required words on the banner.

"Red! You could make it turn red! Then you'd be red and black instead of g-"

"I get it!" Keski snapped, "Now drop it, okay?!"

Bolt stepped back sharply, eyes wide. "S-sorry Keski…" he said, looking down with ears drooping.

Keski sighed heavily and patted Bolt's shoulder, getting a little blue paint on him. "I overreacted. Just please…this really isn't a joking matter. Not to me at least." Bolt nodded. "I really mean it, I don't want to hear any jokes about my fur, okay?"

"I promise," Bolt said with a sigh, "I'll just have to find a less serious way to push your buttons!"

Keski smirked. "Oh, believe me, you do that well enough already."

"Yay!" Bolt smiled, "So! Let's finish the banner now, okay?"

"You mean, let_ me_ finish the banner, right?"

"Yep!"

"Thought so."

Soon, the banner was painted and ready, but when they brought it back to Team Snowpaw Cyon almost fainted in horror. "No, no, no, no, NO!" he declared, "That will never do! Where _did_ you learn to spell?"

"Um…" Keski scratched the back of his head, "Same place I learned how to fight?"

"Well it shows," Cyon sniffed, "Class is spelled C-L-A-S-S, not K-L-A-S. Maybe we should be putting _you_ in school…" Keski growled in annoyance. "We need to redo it. Everything has to be absolutely perfect!"

In the background, Yuki muttered something along the lines of 'here we go again'.

"Hosting an event is a delicate affair," Cyon began seriously, "It takes dedication, foresight, and as much strength of will as stepping onto any battlefield! To truly be a good host, one cannot afford to settle for half-measures! We must strive to always show the world the best of what we are capable of. There is so much ugliness in this world and it is my mission to create more beauty for others to enjoy and be reminded that beauty does exist! I…"

"_Thank_ you, Cyon," Yuki said, cutting him off, "Bolt, Keski, just go get another banner. Ryke! Mina! Come here a minute!" The riolu and zigzagoon immediately dropped what they were doing and scampered over. "You two will make a new banner, after Keski gets it. Put the same words on it as this one, but spell them correctly."

"Yuki!" Cyon declared indignantly, "I was just in the middle of talking!"

"Get to work," Yuki ordered them, "I'll deal with my brother…" With that, she clamped her jaws lightly on his ear and began leading him out of the room.

"Yuki! Ow! Stop it! Yuki! I demand you release me at once!"

Ryke saluted her receding form and grinned as he read the banner. "So…'Klas', eh?"

"Oh shut up…" Keski muttered, cheeks heating up, "I'll…go get another one." He made a quick exit.

Mina, the zigzagoon, suddenly spoke up. "Cia…do you have any idea where Cotton is? He should have been back before breakfast…"

Cia smiled sweetly and patted her on the head. "Don't worry. I'm sure he'll be just fine."

* * *

Sable leaned back and sighed contentedly, shaded by the broad leaf over his head and a cool drink in his claws. Beneath him, his current mode of transportation, a fit and relatively quick venusaur, trudged on through the hot sun wordlessly. Being a grass-type, it was probably rather enjoying leaving the confines of the capitol and getting out into the countryside. However, the third member of their party was not so happy.

"It's soooo _hot_!"

Sable sighed and looked down at his assistant, who was seated in direct sunlight on the venusaur's head. "Deal with it."

She looked back at him with pleading, watery eyes. "That shade sure looks nice…I bet you are very comfortable…"

Sable sighed. "Now Roxy…"

She huffed and turned her back to him again, arms crossed. "Don't you 'now Roxy me!' Sipping your drink and sitting in the shade while I'm frying my ears off…"

"Oh, I doubt that…" Sable rejoined, sipping the drink in question. She looked longingly at it.

"That sure looks tasty…" she said, hinting rather strongly at her desire for it.

"Yes, it is. Speaking of which, this one's almost empty. Do you think you could find the ingredients to make me another?" Sable requested, swishing the contents of the glass around.

She pouted. "Lord Saaaable…" she whined, "I'm melting out here…may I please at least come under the shade?"

The sableye rolled his jeweled eyes. "Fine…just don't get in my-" He nearly dropped his glass as the emolga suddenly appeared right next to him, eyes closed, paws behind her head, and legs crossed. She sighed happily. "-space…" Sable briefly considered shoving her off in retribution for this invasion of his personal space, but decided against it grudgingly. After all, she did belong to him, to his way of thinking at least. There was no point in abusing one of his own things, especially not such an able assistant and one so devoted to him. So, instead of pushing her away, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. She took this as a sign of affection and happily cuddled up against him, but he was just securing one more possession. Piece by piece, person by person, eventually the world would belong to him.

"Remind me, doll," he said off-handedly, "What's our ETA on getting to Seaside Crest again?"

"Four days," she replied, "I memorized your itinerary before we left. Desidu here can travel all day and night due to the energy he gets from the sun, and at a decent clip too. The only faster way would be by flying, but getting someone to take you all the way out to the edge of the empire would have cost a fortune."

"And it's not worth a fortune to arrive a day earlier…" Sable muttered.

"Exactly!" Roxy said perkily.

Overhead, there was a loud squawk and the beating of wings. Roxy temporarily disengaged herself from Sable's grip and peered out from under the venusaur's overhanging leaves. A pelipper was flying at max speed after them, a mail-bag clutched in its feet. Sable sat up as it landed on the venusaur's back, not that their transport cared. He was used to carrying other Pokémon by now. It paid him good money.

"Letter for Lord Sable," the pelipper declared, setting the bag down and pulling out a sealed envelope. Roxy took it and the bird was almost immediately back in the air, already off to its next delivery.

Sable took the letter from Roxy and opened it with a claw. There were only three lines of text written on it. It read, "Request processed and approved. Two subjects at your disposal. First attack has already been scheduled as per request. Have a nice day. –The Management." Sable grinned.

Roxy peered over his shoulder, reading it as well. "What's that mean?" she asked.

"Well, doll," he said, his grin spreading wider and becoming downright menacing, "let's just say I've set up a little…test to see if the good guildmaster really is a Sealbearer."

* * *

"Welcome to Defense School!" Cia said, standing outside the guild's main door and greeting the parents of the new students. She smiled and kept up a cheerful attitude for everyone entering. After all, first impressions were very important, especially when dealing with young ones. A happy attitude would do wonders to make them happy as well!

Inside, Emerald made sure everyone was signed in and ready to go. After that, she had the unenviable job of moving the kits into the next room while at the same time ushering the parents out the door. When Malik arrived, this already difficult task became almost insurmountable. The meowth insisted that his bodyguards needed to be with him at all times, making quite a scene. The pair of houndooms just rolled their eyes, used to this behavior by now. Fortunately, they didn't know or care about anyone from this town, so they didn't mind being seen as the little tyrant's lackeys. It paid good money.

Emerald, after taking several deep calming breaths, told the pair that they could take the day off and pick Malik up before dinner. Malik was about to protest, but one heart-stopping glare from the gardevoir made him rethink that and decide it wasn't worth it.

With that crisis averted and no more Pokémon immediately entering, Emerald took a moment to sit down and clear her mind. Taking deep, slow breaths, she closed her eyes and quickly regained her sense of stability and equilibrium.

"Hey Emerald!"

She looked up and smiled. "Kachi! Well, welcome! Nice to have you here."

The pikachu grinned and indicated the pichu beside him. "Oh, I'm not staying. Meadow is. You remember meeting Meadow, right?"

"Of course!" Emerald said, kneeling down so she wasn't towering over the diminutive mouse. "How are you doing? Is Kachi being a good big brother?"

She giggled and grinned up at her. "Yep! Big brother likes my food! Is Uncle Skipper here? I want to learn how to make more food! Then I can help him feel better because he works so hard all day!"

Emerald beamed down at her. "I'm sure he will love to! But right now you're going to learn how to battle. Cooking comes afterwards, okay?"

"Okay," Meadow agreed with a nod of her head. She trundled off into the main hall, singing a childish tune.

Emerald smiled. "Your sister is very cute."

"Isn't she?" Kachi agreed enthusiastically, "I'm so proud of her! She has to be the best little sister ever! I love her so much it's almost like she's my own daughter sometimes!"

"Yes, I'm sure you do," Emerald said, laughing.

"Well, I don't really have time to stay and visit, unfortunately," Kachi said, "We got a report this morning about something strange in the woods to the east of town."

"That's where Cotton is," Emerald said, "Is it something serious? Something the guild needs to be involved in?"

"Not yet. Just a few skittish farmers," Kachi replied, "If it turns into something we need help on, I'll come tell you."

"Okay! Well, the class is done right before dinner, but I assume Meadow will be staying a bit longer to learn from Skipper. You're welcome to join us for dinner, if you want."

"That sounds pretty good, actually!" Kachi said, pleased, "I think I'll take you up on that offer. See you then!"

"See you."

And with that, the police officer was gone. One quick check over the list of attending Pokémon later, Emerald realized that everyone who had been signed up was present and waiting for their instructor to appear.

Fourteen kits of various species, Malik among them, stood in the main hall of the Starchase Guild, looking around. The other members of Team Snowpaw had welcomed them in and instructed them to wait until Mendigo showed up. Unfortunately for them, the ghostly exoskeleton had not yet arrived. They quickly became bored and began finding their own amusements, like exploring the room and finding that the doors to most of the more sensitive areas were barred.

Malik did not join in. He was by far the oldest there, almost an adolescent, and was not happy about it, though all the kits were old enough to take a few hits without the danger newborns had of serious injury. Governor Jasper had for the longest time insisted that fighting was beneath him, but a conversation with a visiting relative, who told dreadful stories about the rich being attacked by bandits or worse, rebels, had convinced him that Malik needed to know how to defend himself. Even Jasper himself was brushing off his rusty battle skills. However, none of this served to improve his son's mood or attitude.

That's when the wooden plates began rattling in the sink.

All conversation came to a screeching halt as all heads turned toward the sound. But there was nothing visible that could possibly be creating the disturbance. The kits exchanged wide eyed glances, which were quickly joined by small whimpers when the sound of howling wind entered the room.

Malik scoffed aloud, though to be honest he was a little put on edge by the effects. Then he turned around and found himself face to face with a dead-eyed husk floating in mid-air.

"Boo," it said.

Malik's eyes went wide, his whiskers stood on end, his fur suddenly fluffed out, and he yowled in surprise, backpedalling quickly. He stumbled and fell on his tail, much to the thing's amusement. Hearty laughter poured from it, causing Malik to glare spitefully when he realized he'd been tricked.

"Hello kiddies! I'm Mendigo and I'll be your teacher for the day!" the shell said, still cackling, "Today, your parents and other guardians have signed you over to me and given me permission to injure you in small amounts. For training purposes of course. Now, will I abuse this freedom? Not unless you tick me off!" He laughed. "Now today you will not be fighting each other but discovering what techniques you can currently use!" Suddenly, Malik, recovered from his fright, leapt at Mendigo and swiped angrily at him with his claws, but they just passed right through. "I see Malik has already gotten a head start! Excellent! Now let's begin."

About ten feet below them, Bolt and Keski were hard at work at another job: cleaning the floor. Keski was sweeping while Bolt was mopping up afterwards. He was particularly creative in the way he accomplished this task, dipping the large rag in the bucket using his teeth and rubbing it along the floor with his front paws. How they had received this task was a bit of a long story. The short version was that Cyon had struggled to find something more for them to do and ended up just assigning them to cleaning duty.

Not surprisingly, Keski was the first to finish his assigned task, due to his greater sense of focus. He set the broom aside and sat down with a sigh. "This reminds me of doing chores for your dad…" he grumbled, not terribly annoyed, more like minorly inconvenienced.

"Yeah, but he has us wash the entire battle arena…" Bolt sighed, "This is much easier! And shorter."

"Yeah, no joke!" Keski said under his breath, "Well, at least it is cool down here…"

"Yep!" Bolt said cheerfully, "We're underground, so it's bound to be cooler! Unless it's raining outside. Then it could very well be colder out there than down here. And if it was raining, there might be lightning! I like lightning! It makes me feel like I could take on Lady Ho-Oh herself!"

Keski smirked. "Until she incinerates you as a heretic for daring to attack her." He chuckled. "Though to be honest, everyone else would probably stop you before you even reached her."

"Yeah…" Bolt said with a shrug, "And Dad would probably not be too happy either…" He trailed off, a thoughtful expression on his face. "When do you think Lt. Cascade will be able to confirm our identities?"

"I don't know, Bolt. It's been years since I visited the mainland," Keski replied, "And I never visited the Seafoam Empire before, so I have no idea what their laws are like and how long things take."

"Oh…" Bolt said, downcast, "I hope Mist is okay…"

The lucario tensed. "I'm sure she'll be fine," Keski assured him, not very convincingly, "After all, what could happen to a lone eevee? It's not like anyone would attack her or…enslave her…or…um…" He gulped, seeing Bolt's horrified expression. "I'll shut up now…"

"You think someone would attack her?!" he demanded, forgetting the mop and running over toward him, "We have to get out of here _now_! We have to find her and save her!"

"We can't!" Keski countered, "Remember what Emerald did to us? If we try to leave, they _will_ track us down and bring us back! And probably lock us up! Then, we won't be able to continue looking for Mist for…years, I should think!"

Bolt's eyes filled with pain and tears. "B-b-but what if she needs us now?" he asked accusingly.

"Then there really is nothing we can do…" Keski sighed. Bolt was devastated and slowly fell to the ground, tears falling from his eyes. "I-I'm sorry but that's the truth…even if we weren't prisoners of a sort, we still have no idea where she is. If she needs us right now, we have no chance of helping her." He shifted awkwardly, knowing this was not helping Bolt at all. "Look…the best thing we can do right now is exactly what we are doing: keeping a low profile and out of trouble. If the time comes to fight and raise hell, I'll be right there alongside you. But there is no way that the two of us alone could evade and escape an entire guild that practically has a homing beacon implanted in each of our skulls!"

"W-what's a homing beacon?" Bolt asked, sniffing.

"Metal device. Keeps track of the location of whatever it is planted to," Keski said, waving it aside, "And while the Starchaser Guild doesn't have any of those, two powerful psychics are just as good if not better." Bolt stared up at him, bewildered, scared for his sister, and confused as to what he felt he should do. "…" Sighing, Keski knelt and pulled him into a hug. "Just be patient. I'm sure everything will work out here in the end."

"O-okay…" Bolt consented, giving him a friendly nuzzle, "Thanks Keski…you're a great friend."

Keski smiled. "You know what? I say we take a break and get a drink."

Bolt smiled weakly. "Sounds good," he said, regaining some of his former spirits. He rose and trotted toward the stairwell, leaving Keski a little ways behind.

"Note to self…" the lucario muttered, "Don't mention my personal fears to Bolt…"

He sighed and made to follow the young jolteon. However, he had only gone a few steps when he heard a voice behind him. "Well that was very touching. Your friendship is quite noble. I'm impressed."

He turned and saw Medi standing in the doorway, arms crossed and examining their work on cleaning the floor with a critical eye. "Your cleaning skills, however, leave something to be desired…" she mused, "Eh, nobody's perfect. Being a true friend is more important anyway, wouldn't you say?"

"Yes…" Keski replied, "I guess so…"

Medi chuckled. "Oh you're so cute. Of course it is! You see, that's what we are at the Starchaser Guild: true friends." She paused, letting that hang in the air for a moment. "However, there is…one member who no one knows at all." She nodded toward the door with the name 'Shadow' written above it. "That guy. Or girl. No one's seen whatever it is. All we know is that the hardest, most difficult assignments we get, even the ones that require travelling all the way across the continent, are always given to it. You know, those ridiculously insane ones, like eliminating dark guilds. And it always completes them. By itself. Then, it returns here with the reward in the dead of night, visits the guildmaster, and is immediately assigned another. The odd thing is that it's not even registered as an official member, so no one outside the guild even knows it exists. But the reward money it brings in, that's how we keep this place running, see. There really aren't all that many jobs for a full-blown guild out in this side of the empire, even though the guild pre-dates the town itself…"

"Your point?" Keski asked bluntly.

She cleared her throat. "My point is that I'm a bit…curious about it. Best the rest of us can guess, it's some sort of insanely powerful zoroark. I was wondering if, you being a lucario and all, you could keep a watchful eye out for any suspicious presences. I'd pay you, of course. I heard about your fine and thought you might want a little something to help pay it off. So…do we have a deal?"

Keski considered it carefully. Something about Medi made him cautious, but he and Bolt did need to find ways to earn money. In the end, he nodded. "Yes, we have a deal."

She grinned. "Excellent. I'll be on my way then." She sauntered past him, reaching out to brush his side with her claw. "See you later," she said with a slightly sultry tone. Keski watched her warily as she made her way down the hall and to the upstairs. After he felt she had gone a sufficient distance ahead as to make another encounter unlikely, he followed at a brisk pace.

The moment he reached the ground floor, he was greeted by the sight of Bolt under a mound of kits, squealing and laughing as they climbed over him. The jolteon caught sight of Keski and grinned. "Hi Keski!" he called, "They tackled me when they discovered I was a criminal. And look! It's Kachi's little sister, Meadow!"

Keski blinked blankly, not quite sure what to make of the spectacle before him. An oddish poked his leg with one of the leaves on its head, drawing his attention.

"Excuse me mister," the plant asked politely, "But are you a criminal too?"

Keski sighed. "Well, I guess that's what you could call it…"

Suddenly he found himself gang-tackled to the ground by twelve young Pokémon. They cheered. "We caught another one!"

"Good job, kids!" Mendigo called, a grin evident in his voice even if it wasn't on his face, "Don't let him go now! He's the worse one!"

While that was going on, a marill approached Bolt shyly, fore-paws behind her back. "Hello, mister…" she said, scuffing the floor with her foot, "You may not remember me, but you burst into my uncle's store yesterday…"

Bolt beamed at her. "Yep! I remember! I was going to ask if you had any food to share, but then…well, things got out of hand…"

She nodded. "Well…my uncle says you probably saved us, so we wanted you to have this…" From behind her back, she produced a slip of paper. Bolt looked at it curiously, taking it and spreading it out before him.

"A coupon good for any one item at the general store. Still think I do price-gouging?" he read. A smile broke out on his face. "Tell him I was only trying to distract the other two! His fruit was actually some of the cheapest we've come across. And I'm sure it's delicious!"

She smiled happily and went away to join the others 'attacking' Keski. Out of the corner of his eye, Bolt saw Malik glaring at him and smiled back at him. The meowth huffed and quickly looked away.

"Alright, alright," Mendigo called, "That's a long enough break, I think. Everyone line back up and leave the nice lucario alone." Obediently, the students clambered off him and formed a line. "Now, that was a pretty good show of tackling, but it needs a little work. The trick is to keep your body loose. Let's practice on these pillows over here."

Keski sat up, recovering from being attacked so suddenly. Bolt strolled on over to him, sat down, and turned to watch the kits train. A big smile crossed his face. "I remember when Dad did that with me. He had to be careful not to step on me because I was so small compared to him."

The lucario's expression was unreadable. "My father never did that…he sent me away to learn how to fight."

Bolt glanced over at him. "You know, you never did tell us much about your family. What was life like for you before you washed up on the beach that day? The day Dad, Mist, and I found you?"

Keski's expression became distant, almost cold. "Nothing worth speaking of," he replied. Bolt was tempted to press for more details, but Keski's expression warned him not to. He clamped his mouth shut and just sat beside him, saying nothing.

The front door slammed. Emerald strode in, a frantic look on her face. "Medi!" she called urgently, "Where are you? We need you. NOW!"

The weavile materialized from the second-story stairwell. "What? What's the matter? Did something happen?"

Emerald swallowed. "It's Cotton…Cotton and Slicer. They're back but…they've been attacked. We need you to come _now_!" With a worried expression on her face, Medi wordlessly ran through the room and out the door. The kits began talking in hushed, scared tones. "Mendigo," Emerald called, "Try to keep them calm. Play a game. Do something, but keep them inside. There's a very dangerous Pokémon on the loose."

Mendigo made a sound like clearing his throat. "Everyone! Let's go downstairs! We have a small pool down there. It's in the same room as the baths, but it's a lot more fun! Come on now! Hurry, follow me!" The bewildered and somewhat frightened kits slowly obeyed his commands, filing down into the basement.

Emerald beckoned Bolt and Keski over. "You two…stay here. If something does try to break in, defend the guild." She turned to leave.

"We want to help!" Bolt proclaimed, following her.

"I can't ask you to do that," Emerald replied, "It would be irresponsible to ask strangers to do such a thing." She opened the guild's main door, revealing a disturbing scene. Most of the guild was crowded around three Pokémon, a jumpluff, a ledian, and a kabutops. All three were seriously injured and only the kabutops was conscious. Medi was hurriedly tending to them, tearing strips of cloth with her long claws and binding them in place while ordering the bystanders to feed them medicine and make sure they kept breathing.

Master Majyk was there, floating close by the heavily-breathing kabutops' head. One of the Shellfish Pokémon's legs was bent at an awkward angle and the exoskeleton of his left arm was crushed right by the elbow joint. "Slicer…" Majyk said, voice solemn, "what happened to you all?"

The kabutops gasped, gritting his jaw against a wave of pain. "Attacked…in forest. Cotton was hit first…picked him up and ran to town…Officer Astro tried to stop attacker at North Gate…failed, but it did not enter town. It's still out there…somewhere…" Slicer's eyes became unfocused and his head drooped, clearly on the brink of losing consciousness.

Medi frowned, bending over the ledian and pulling out a black spike from just below his eye. "An inch higher and Astro would be blinded in one eye now, so that's fortunate," she mused, "but I have no idea what sort of Pokémon this came from. I've never seen anything like this before."

"Slicer, please, one last question," Majyk pressed, reviving the kaputops slightly, "What…sort of Pokémon was your attacker?"

"C-cacturne…" That was the last word Slicer said before slipping into unconsciousness. Medi quickly came over and checked his vitals, giving off a sigh of relief.

"Of the three of them, he's the most well off…" she informed Majyk, "His thick shell protected most of his organ from damage and, even if he loses the arm, it will grow back. No worries there. Cotton is the one I'm most concerned about. But anyway, we should get them inside. Don't need to start a general panic."

"Quite right…" Majyk agreed. A soft glow surrounded the three, lifting them into the air, "Come, Medi, let us get them safely settled." He turned to everyone else. "Our next course of action is to send out search parties looking for this…cacturne. I want Team Firestrike and Team Snowpaw on this one since they should both have the advantage. Send Ryke and Mina down to the police and tell them what's happened. When Stuffy and Sunsoarer get back, send Stuffy to the North Gate and have Sunsoarer watch from the skies. Everyone else is to stay on alert. Understood?"

"Yes, guildmaster!"

"Good, then there is no time to lose! Get going!" Majyk ordered. The guild scattered, performing whatever task had been set to them. Teams Firestrike and Snowpaw raced to the North Gate, taunting the other that they would be the one to capture the criminal. Ryke and Mina dashed off toward the police station, going full-tilt. Emerald's eyes glowed as she reached out for Stuffy and Sunsoarer's minds, hoping to get them back faster.

Keski bowed politely to Majyk as he passed. "Guildmaster," he began, "Is there anything we can do?"

Majyk, though in a hurry, briefly considered it. "Just be ready with the rest of the guild in case we need you," he said. Keski nodded and stepped back, allowing him unrestricted passage into the main hall. Bolt sat down and sighed, staring at the mural in the entryway.

"And now," Keski muttered, "We hurry up and wait."

* * *

Just outside of town, hidden in woods to the east, the cacturne in question crouched, watching the North Gate from a distance. If anyone were to look in his direction, the only thing they would see is malevolent, glowing yellow eyes in the shadows staring hungrily at them. "Heh, heh, heh…" It grinned when the six Pokémon that made up the Starchaser Guild's rival teams exited the town. "Just as I expected…"

He raised one of his arms, aiming it at them. A dark-violet mist flowed from the spines on his arm, swirling together and solidifying on his palm into a dark spike. "Let's see if I can't pick a few of them off before they get close…"


	4. Chapter 4: Reign of Terror

Chapter 4:

Reign of Terror

"_As I was going up the stair, I met a man who wasn't there. He wasn't there again today. I wish, I wish he'd stay away," –Hughes Mearnes._

Blitz scanned the terrain, especially watchful of the forest. No threats were in immediate sight, though he could not shake the feeling of something's eyes on him. He turned to his teammates. "Right, we're doing this quick. Grass-type is no match for us. Let's fry his hide and if he's still alive we can haul him into the police. Clear?"

"Yeah!" Corona said enthusiastically, a grin on her face, "Let's burn him for what he did to Cotton!"

"As much as I would normally object to killing," Rafasa growled, "I find it hard to do so now. But if you insist, we will deliver him to the police."

Blitz grinned and nodded in approval. "Team Firestrike! Move out!"

Meanwhile, Cyon was making a similar address to his sisters.

"This Pokémon is very dangerous," he said, "I want everyone to be careful out there. But under no circumstances, unless it is a matter of life or death, is this monster to be allowed to escape."

Yuki nodded grimly. "We're right behind you, Cyon."

The male glaceon made eye contact with both of them briefly. "Well then," he said, "Team Snowpaw, let's go!"

The two teams set off warily, keeping some distance from each other though not as much as they normally would have. Despite their confident display, they all had a certain amount of trepidation. Slicer was one of the most capable and fearless fighters in the guild. The fact that he had been able to carry Cotton to safety even with the horrendous injuries he had sustained attested to his capabilities. If this creature could take him down, then they needed to be extra cautious.

In the trees, their target watched them, head slightly cocked to the side as he aimed down his arm very carefully. "Fifty meters out…" he muttered, "Slight breeze from the north…west. Steady breathing…take a breath…and fire."

The black spike at the end of his appendage suddenly flew forward with all the speed of a rocket. Corona barely had enough time to see it out of the corner of her eye and duck before it tore a hole in her ear. Fortunately, it was not a large one, but the sudden pain still caused her to yelp in surprise.

"Get down!" she snapped, "He's in the trees and he has pretty good aim!"

The cacturne cursed under his breath. "Well now they know I'm here…I guess subtlety is out of the question…" More dark violet mist poured out of the spines on both his arms, forming a cluster of black ammunition in each hand. He raised both appendages and fired. A veritable storm of spikes filled the air, causing the members of the Starchaser guild to press themselves tightly to the ground in the hopes that they wouldn't be hit.

"Yuki! Cia!" Cyon called, "Let's give ourselves some cover!" As one, they inhaled sharply, exhaling great blasts of frigid air that formed ice wherever they struck. Soon, a thick wall of ice rose in front of them, protecting them from the dangerous spikes. Instantly, the entire barrage became focused solely on that shield. Spike after spike struck it, leaving large cracks in the surface. In the space of a few seconds, it shattered.

"Well that didn't work!" Yuki snapped, "And he's too far away for our other tactics!"

"How do we get closer?" Cia called.

"Simple!" Cyon replied, "Hide behind Blitz! His ego will shield us!"

"Oh very funny," the arcanine growled, "But in case ya hadn't noticed, we're _all_ in the same boat here and it's a leaky one!"

The cacturne suddenly ceased the attack, panting heavily. He let his arms fall to his sides and gasped for air. "Whew…that really takes it out of me…but they won't advance now. They'll think I'm just waiting for a better target. Which I am in a way…"

Cia slowly raised her head. "Stay down!" Cyon called in alarm, "Don't give him anything he could hit."

"Does anyone have any idea what sort of attack he is using?" Rafasa queried, "I believe that may be the first step to defeating him."

"I don't know, but it hurt worse than a rock," Corona replied doubtfully.

"We need to advance!" Blitz growled, "Team Firestrike, Blitzkrieg maneuver!"

He suddenly stood up and took off, moving incredibly fast toward the forest. A green shield shimmered into existence around him. Corona and Rafasa ran directly behind him, not nearly as fast but taking cover behind his shield.

Cyon looked at his two sisters. "Now while the enemy is distracted, let's hide underground and spring up from beneath. We can wash off later, but beauty comes second to survival." They nodded and in one flurry of paws later were under the earth.

Blitz reached the treeline with a triumphant growl. Flames instantly boiled in his mouth as he scanned the area for his target. All was quiet. There was no sign that anyone had ever been standing there.

Corona and Rafasa joined him cautiously, very much on edge and on guard. They knew their enemy was out there, they just didn't know where.

"This should be easy," Corona complained, "Just one stupid grass-type."

"Quiet!" Blitz growled, "Don't make any-" He instantly broke this instruction as he suddenly screamed in pain as a black spike sprouted from his shoulder. "Down! Now!" he snarled at his two teammates. They ducked and he unleashed a blast of white-hot fire in the direction of the attack, setting the trees ablaze.

The sudden inferno lit up the forest, banishing the darkness where the cacturne had been hiding. There was a faint shimmer of green, but it disappeared quickly and there was no sign of him. Blitz growled in frustration and tore the spike out. His shoulder felt a bit weak where he had been struck, but he chalked it up to the wound.

"Spread out, but keep in sight of each other," he ordered. His partners nodded and they set off deeper into the woods, scanning the foliage carefully.

"Keep a sharp lookout," Rafasa called softly, "There is no telling where he could…AHHH!" His tail was pinned the floor by an expert shot from the trees above. "He's in the trees! He's in the trees!"

"Eat flames, scum!" Corona shouted, unleashed a flamethrower in the indicated direction. The treetops were set ablaze, a problem that they would have to eventually deal with but not an immediate concern. The cacturne dropped out of the trees and landed heavily on the ground, staggering a few steps before he regained his balance.

"Position compromised," he murmured, "Options, options…so many options."

"Give yourself up!" Corona commanded imperiously, "We're the awesome Team Firestrike! You're going down!"

The cacturne's eyes focused on her alone. She took a step back. They were such cold eyes. Unnaturally cold. Desolate and empty, like the ice that lies over the arctic. There was absolutely no pity in them. No warmth. It was completely alien.

"Your strength will bolster mine then," he said, summoning another spike out of dark fog, "Now…catch." He fired right at her head, but this time she was ready and the spike buried itself in a tree instead. Blitz leapt at him with a snarl on his face, but the cacturne whirled and delivered a sickening uppercut to the arcanine's jaw with a shadow-shrouded fist. The large Pokémon spun through the air, going over the grass-type's head and slamming to earth on his back behind the scarecrow. He lay on the ground stunned. Three more spikes pinned his tail and one hind paw to the floor, eliciting a roar of pain. A roar which was quickly silenced by a final punch to the jaw. Blitz's eyes glassed over and he fell unconscious.

Another stream of fire poured from Corona's mouth, blazing with the intensity of her anger, only to be stopped by a shimmering green shield. Two more spikes struck her mane, knocking her back and pinning her to the tree behind her. The cacturne was just about to fire a third when he was struck in the back by lightning-fast punch from Rafasa. He staggered, but quickly recovered, pivoted, and slammed his elbow into the monkey's face. They both took a step back, studying each other, waiting for the other to move.

Rafasa's form suddenly blurred, his fist prepared to strike. The instant before he did so, however, the cacturne sidestepped and snagged the wounded portion of his tail, twirling him around and sending him straight into another tree. The monkey slumped against it groggily, seeing his opponent summon more spikes to shoot at him but unable to gather himself enough to dodge.

"Move, Rafasa!" Corona screamed.

Suddenly, the ground collapsed from underneath the grass-type. His arms flailed around wildly as he dropped straight down into a deep pit. Shortly thereafter, Team Snowpaw erupted from the earth, each taking deep breaths as they rose. When they reached the apex, they unleashed a storm of ice and wind that flash-froze the entire hole and its occupant. And for the finale, they landed with a flourish and struck a dramatic pose.

"Good job!" Cyon said with a grin, "We got him!"

The three glaceons took a look around. "Whoa," Yuki said in alarm, "What happened to you all?"

Corona struggled to get free, but only managed to tear some of her fur out. "That…thing did this," she growled, "Are you absolutely sure you froze it solid?"

"Yes, of course!" Cyon huffed, irritated at the question, "We couldn't possibly have missed him when he was trapped down there."

"He knows Protect, idiots!" Corona snapped. The three glaceons paused and immediately ran over to the frozen hole, trying in vain to see down through it.

"I don't…see him…" Cia said doubtfully. A green, spiny arm shot up from the ground beside her, causing her to yelp in surprise and leap back right into Cyon. Yuki reflexively fired a blast of icy air at it, but another green shield shimmered into existence. The cacturne slowly clawed its way to the surface, protected from repeated attacks by the shield. He stood up straight and grinned at them.

Rafasa stood up shakily. "Be very careful," he warned Team Snowpaw, "He is quite skilled and powerful."

"Noted," Cyon said, assuming a battle-stance alongside his sisters, "Try and free Corona and Blitz. Defeating him takes precedence over our rivalry."

Yuki stepped forward. "You there! You've blown your chance at surrendering. Now you will face…"

"The sensational, celestial siblings of…" the three began.

"Team Snowpaw," the cacturne interrupted, "specialty: coordinating ice attacks for a more powerful result. Led by Cyon, by all reports a narcissist. Other members include Yuki, the older sister, and Cia, said to be the most compassionate. Additionally, they are known to be glass cannons." He stepped forward, creating two more spikes out of mist and casting them in one fluid motion. Cyon's icy breath froze the first in mid-air and Cia leapt aside as the second whizzed by her and embedded itself in another tree.

"Surround him!" Cyon ordered, summoning shards of ice and sending them flying at the cacturne, who raised a protective shield that shattered upon impact. The ice buried itself in the grass-type's torso, staggering it. Cia and Yuki ran around to either side of him, hemming him in. As one, Team Snowpaw unleashed a cataclysmic wave of snow and wind that swirled around their opponent like an ice tornado, tearing his body again and again. It threatened to lift him up off the ground, but roots sprouted from his legs and dug deep into the ground, anchoring him there. He weathered the storm, shielding his face with one of his spiky arms. All of a sudden, however, Rafasa felt a wave of weakness come over him as he pulled the last spike pinning Corona to the tree. He groaned and collapsed to his knees.

"What's…happening?" he said between clenched teeth. Corona staggered weakly, beginning to feel a similar effect. If Blitz did as well, he gave no sign, completely claimed by unconsciousness. Shortly, Team Snowpaw's attack slackened off as they ran out of stamina. The cacturne still stood, glaring at them and practically untouched. Even the wounds he had were quickly regenerating. Corona and Rafasa, however, were growing steadily weaker. The trees his spikes had embedded themselves in also began to droop and turn brown.

"Leech seed!" Cyon exclaimed, "The spikes, they're some sort of leech seed!"

"Clever little glaceon," the scarecrow chuckled under its breath, "Your friends' strength is mine. The forest's life…" He shot another spike, which Cyone dodged but it struck another tree. "…is mine. One hit and I will have your strength as well."

Cyon looked his sisters squarely in the eye. "Don't get hit," he ordered.

"Well duh," Yuki scoffed. The cacturne fired a spike at her over his shoulder, but didn't even come close to hitting her.

"Oh look at that," Corona chuckled, wobbling on her feet, "He ingrained himself to the ground and now he can't even turn around."

Cyon grinned and darted around behind the cacturne, dodging a few spikes that went his way. Now with all three of Team Snowpaw behind him, the scarecrow had no target. The three glaceons exchanged nods and summoned shards of ice, flinging them directly into the cacturne's back. He flinched and grunted in pain, but once again he immediately began regenerating while Corona and Rafasa grew weaker.

"Would you please not do that again?" Rafasa asked weakly.

Cyon gritted his teeth. "One strike. We need to be able to take him down in one strike, otherwise he'll just regenerate!"

"Correct," the cacturne stated coldly. The roots embedded in the ground suddenly twisted, spinning his entire body around with spikes already prepped in each hand. He fired immediately, hitting Yuki, who tried to leap up, right under the shoulder and Cia, who tried to duck, in the lower back. They both emitted pained yelps and fell to the ground.

"Ow…" Cia whined, "That hurt even more than a steel-type attack…"

"How dare you!" Cyon shouted angrily, pelting the cacturne with ice.

Yuki took a deep breath and tried to rise to her feet. "No time to lay around," she said, "We have to AHHHH!" She screamed as a wave of pain rocked her body. Soon, she was joined by Corona, Cia, and Yuki, who fell panting to the ground when it ceased. Cyon gritted his teeth. He was facing the cacturne alone now. His sisters had been hit hard by the energy drain. To make things worse, the cacturne was already fully healed and leering at him.

Cyon smirked confidently. "So it comes down to this. One lone hero against a monster in a desperate gambit to save his friends…" He glanced doubtfully at Team Firestrike. "…and others…" He cleared his throat. "But regardless! My resolve shall not- OW!" He stared at the wound on his leg and felt a wave of weakness pass over him. "Oh botheration…"

A few minutes later, the cacturne stood over all six of them, grinning in satisfaction. Fortunately for them, the leech spike's effects wore off upon unconsciousness, otherwise he just might have drained them of all their life, despite orders to the contrary. He'd never felt so powerful right now, not even after he had volunteered for the Reprogramming. He'd have to ask the director about improving the spike, but for now, he had a mission to finish.

"Six down with serious injuries," he muttered, turning away and heading for the edge of the forest. Two more spikes coalesced in his grasp. "Now for the rest of the town."

He paused and frowned. Something didn't seem quite right. He was being watched.

He whirled and fired both spikes into the darkness behind a clump of bushes. A few seconds later, they reappeared, heading directly for his head. The grass-type was a bit slow on the dodge. One missed, the other landed squarely in his right eye, putting it out. He grunted in pain as he yanked it out and a small stream of sand poured out of the wound. He reached out for the energy from the spikes still embedded in the trees, but was surprised to find that they were no longer there. He grunted in surprise when one of them suddenly reappeared, embedded between his shoulderblades.

"I see why you favor these things," a cold voice chuckled from the bushes, "They are remarkable easy to throw. Next time, you might not want to leave so many lying around."

The cacturne grimaced, mind racing. He needed to regenerate. He had been caught off-guard and was already seriously wounded. He summoned more spikes and threw them at a nearby tree, preparing to suck the life right out of it. However, a streak of black and red shot right by, snatching them out of the air and flinging them right back at him. He tried to raise a shield, but the spikes passed right through, impaling him twice in the chest. More sand poured out of him, leaving a small pile on the forest floor.

The cacturne looked down impassively at his severely wounded torso. For most species, this would be a fatal blow, but to his relief it was not so with him. He yanked them both out, drawing another small outflow of sand. Grimacing, he walked over to the tree, preparing to stick them in himself. An impossibly strong claw grabbed him from behind and threw him directly into a nearby rock. There was a loud snap as something, probably something important, broke in his body. The scarecrow tried to stand, but his left leg would no longer support his weight.

A bush rustled off to his left. Instantly, he unloaded a barrage of spikes, firing at a rate of four per second, pushing his abilities to their limits. However, when he slowed down, he felt the cold, icy grip of fear clutch at his heart. Whatever he had been firing at had not only managed to catch them like before, but throw them back with enough speed and accuracy to knock the others right out of the air.

There was a dull, squishing sound. The cacturne collapsed to his hands and knees, another spike sticking out of his forehead. He chuckled. "How…interesting…"

"Indeed," a voice said behind him, "You should be dead."

The cacturne fired. Success! He felt a sudden influx of healing energy flowing into him. Something struck him in the back of the head, sharp claws that dug into his skull. He was yanked to his feet and tossed aside. The ground shot up and slammed into him like a sledgehammer. He rolled several times, coming to a stop only to be stabbed several more times with his own spikes. He tried to move, but couldn't. He was pinned to the ground, like a specimen laid out for dissection.

"It's already over," the scarecrow said emotionlessly, "Once you're hit, it's only a matter of time before you fall."

A shadow fell over him, blocking out the sun. Black fur, red mane, and two fury-filled blue eyes. "I beg to differ," the creature said, a black sphere appearing in his hands, "You'll be dead long before that can happen." He brought the black sphere slowly toward the cacturne's face. "Dark Void."

* * *

"They're over here!"

Master Majyk sighed in relief when he heard Sunsoarer's call. The police and the guild had teamed up to search for Teams Snowpaw and Firestrike, but he had feared the worst. Instantly, he teleported to the flygon's location.

Stuffy and Naila were already there, carefully gathering up the unconscious Pokémon. Majyk's heart nearly stopped when he saw how badly they were hurt. In truth, it could be far worse. His concern for them magnified the magnitude of their injuries. However, it would take at least a week before they would be able to move about comfortably again.

Mendigo floated up to him. "Well, looks like they got their heads handed to them. Not literally though, so there is that to be grateful for."

Majyk glared at him. "This is not a joking matter. One Pokémon managed to single-handedly take out half of the guild. Does that strike you as very funny?"

"Er, no…" the shedinja admitted, "But…what I meant by saying that was that at least they aren't dead."

Majyk took a deep, worried breath, trying to settle his nerves. "Indeed."

"…" the Shedinja scanned the area, "Cyon's going to be ticked. Blood in his fur. Those stains almost never come out completely until shedding season."

"Mendigo, please!" Majyk snapped.

The shedinja backed away slightly. "Sorry. Trying to make light of the situation. Cheer you up a bit. I'll just head back to the guild and tell Emerald we found them…"

"That would be best," Majyk said tersely. Mendigo turned and quickly floated away.

Pushing a bush aside, Pyre and Cascade entered the clearing. "We found him!" Pyre called, "But…it's not exactly pretty. Not anything I'd tell the ladies, if you catch my meaning."

"I believe that Master Majyk was perfectly capable of understanding you without that clarification, sir," Cascade said, "Unlike some, he is a very intelligent Pokémon."

"Is that supposed to be a joke, Lieutenant?" Pyre asked, eyebrow raised, "And one about me?"

"Yes sir, that was the general direction of my comment," she answered with a wry smile tugging at her lips.

"Everyone is making jokes today…" Majyk muttered, "Team Tremor? I'm going to be right back. We'll be teleporting to the guild. Make sure they are ready by the time I return. I want to see the face of the Pokémon that did this."

Pyre nodded and led the way through the forest to a nearby, newly-made clearing. Trees lay on the ground, trunks in splinters. The ground was torn up, leaving a two-foot dip in elevation all around. At the edge of the clearing, pinned to a nearby dead tree with innumerable spikes and almost unrecognizable, was the cacturne, a grin fixed on his face.

"Heh heh…heh…heh…." The scarecrow cackled weakly, sand pouring from a gaping hole where its chest used to be, "Well…that…was…something…else…"

A note lay on the ground next to the tree. With a gesture, Majyk brought it to his hand. It read:

_Dear Master, I'd just finished the last mission you gave me when I came upon this creature attacking other members of the guild. He's been dealt with accordingly. I managed to remove the leech seeds from Teams Firestrike and Snowpaw, but was unable to do the same for myself. Fortunately, his injuries will kill him faster than he can regenerate. I made sure of that._

_Please, I will probably be quite weak when I visit you tonight. If you could have medical supplies ready, I would greatly appreciate it._

_Your servant and friend forever,_

_Shadow_

Majyk felt anger well up inside him toward this creature that had harmed so many of his family. Unreasoning, cold anger bordering on outright hate. Restraint, though, kept him from outright obliterating the Pokémon and reason informed him that the scarecrow wasn't long for the world anyway. He floated up to face it, eyes narrow and demeanor threatening.

"Who are you?" he demanded, "And what did you want with this town?"

The cacturne's head lolled to the side limply and his yellow eyes locked with the alakazam's angry ones. His grin spread a little wider. "To…destroy…as many…Starchasers…before …the main…event…"

Majyk's glare intensified. "Main event? What main event? Are there more like you? Are they coming here?"

"So many…questions…" the scarecrow chuckled, "…I am the…first…the first…of many. We herald…the return…of the Queen…the Queen of Air…and…Darkness…"

Majyk's mouth suddenly went dry and a chill went down his spine. He backed away, eyes wide. "That's impossible…she can't return. Not while the seals are…" He stopped and glanced at Pyre and Cascade, an unusual nervousness coming over his form. The two officers looked at him curiously.

"So…you…know about them…does that mean…" the cacturne asked, eyes beginning to lose their light, "I…guess…my mission…wasn't a…failure…after all…heh…heh…heh heh…" His form went limp as the last of the sand poured out from his chest, leaving a gaping blackness where it had been. The three Pokémon stared at his corpse for a few moments.

Hesitantly, Majyk turned to the two police officers. "Come with me to the guild. If this news means what I think it means, then we have a lot to discuss."

* * *

Bolt stood beside Keski, staring in shock at the wounded forms of Team Snowpaw and Team Firestrike, which had just materialized in the main hall and were being tended to by Medi. He wasn't so sure he liked the world outside of his home anymore. There were too many rules and too much violence. He was beginning to feel homesick, but he wasn't willing to give up on finding Mist yet.

"Keski…" he said softly, worry in his voice, "What's going on?"

"I don't know…" the lucario replied, "But I think…we may be over our heads here…"

As they stood there, Medi ordered Team Tremor to help her carry the wounded downstairs. "Hopefully, we'll have enough room," she said doubtfully, "Otherwise, we'll have to convert one of the bedrooms and I'd prefer not to do that."

"Are we really over our heads?" Bolt asked. Keski sighed and nodded. "It seems to me that they are even more so. Can we help them?" Bolt asked.

"Right now? No," Keski answered, "But if another attack happens, well…I would actually enjoy stretching my limbs a bit. We could help fight, if they'd let us…"

"Why wouldn't they?" Bolt asked, "Oh…we're prisoners…"

Keski nodded. "Yeah. So…we'll just have to see if they ever need our help and if they will let us help. If things get desperate enough, I imagine they will…"

Bolt nodded. "Well…I guess we'll hurry up and wait then." He looked down morosely, but then an idea occurred to him. "I know!" Before Keski could grab him, he had bounded up to Emerald, who was pacing anxiously back and forth across the hall. He slowed as he approached her, adopting a worried look. "Hey, Emerald?" he asked softly.

She looked down sharply, surprised to see him there. "Oh, yes Bolt? Now isn't really a good time…"

"Well…I was just wondering…" Bolt began, shifting awkwardly, "I'm…not, I mean, I can't heal anyone, but I can sing and tell stories. I can cheer people up. And I'd like to help, if you'd let me. It's the only thing I can think of though…" He looked up into her eyes. "Please let me help. I promise I won't get in the way."

Emerald stared at him expressionlessly for a moment. But then, she smiled warmly. "Yes, I think we would all like that. Maybe it will keep Cyon and Blitz from tearing each other to shreds in the infirmary." She patted him on the head. "Thank you, Bolt. That was very sweet of you to offer." He grinned up at her.

"Just say the word and I'll be there!" he declared, "I know lots of fun stories and songs!"

Emerald smiled, almost laughing despite the events of the day. "I'm sure you do. Now run along. We'll call you if we want you."


	5. Chapter 5: Challenger Approaching

Chapter 5:

Challenger Approaching!

_"__Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum. I smell the blood of an Englishman!" –The Giant_

Far to the north, there lay a mountain known commonly as Mt. Freeze. It was a desolate, lonely place where winter never ended and cold reigned supreme on the slopes. The peak, however, was a different matter. A different master reigned there, though he never would have called it a kingdom nor himself its ruler. But from far and wide, kings, criminals, and commoners sought to brave the ice storms and blizzards, not to mention the feral residents of the slopes, in order to reach the summit and consult with him.

Or at least, that's how it had been. In recent times, the visitors had slackened off considerably. Not that he minded, really. He'd been alive for so very long, longer even then the eldest of his descendants, that he rarely bothered with the concerns of mortals anymore. Their lives were mere blinks compared to his. He heard there had been a war recently from one of his few servants. Or had it been her father? He honestly couldn't remember. He briefly paused to consider it before remember that it had been her father, who had been buried almost ten years previously. So yes, it had been a very recent war.

He looked up to the stars, pondering them. He probably had the best view of them there was to be had, unless he was to fly. But flight was not one of his many powers, so he was content for this view. He sighed, feeling mellow, and stretched out his nine tails for a nap.

As he reached the border of unconsciousness, though, he sensed something that struck him like a slap in the face and yelped, bolting upright. Immediately, one of his servants, a delibird, came running up with a worried expression on her face.

"Lord Ninetales?" she asked, "Are you alright?"

The large fox blinked once, his red eyes looking around sharply. "Yes, I'm fine," he said, "It's just…" He frowned. "I sensed something. Something I haven't encountered since humans walked this world."

The delibird looked at him questioningly. "What's that, sir?"

Ninetales' hackles rose. "Corruption…"

His servant was singularly unimpressed. "Um…corruption is not a new thing. Have you seen politics lately? Even Northmarch has its fair share of corrupt nobles to contend with."

Ninetales blinked. "Oh, that's not the same. No, not the same at all. This is different. A force that seeks to corrupt the world itself. A fragment of the past seeking to rule the present."

The delibird huffed, used to her lord's confusing speech. "And does this thing have a name?"

Ninetales frowned, perplexed by the question. "No. Not anymore. She had one a long time ago. Before the time of the humans. Before all recorded history, in fact. And so, quite a long time before even I was created." He cleared his throat. "This is most disturbing. Worse even than the Bittercold, and that almost destroyed the world. I must move quickly. There is much to do. If she has already begun sending servants over, then there is not much time left." He smiled wryly. "It's almost poetic. Two sets of seven, servants of two different powers, creation and perversion, are about to come into conflict. I wonder who they will be this time?" He rose, stretching his limbs. "I leave immediately. Lord Rayquaza has already fallen and there is precious little time. I must find the Seven Sealbearers and warn them. You should be safe here for now, but do not count on it for long."

"Wait!" the delibird called, waddling after him, "Will you…will you be back?"

The fox slowed and looked back at her with a sad smile. "Don't count on it." Then he was gone, racing down the mountain at break-neck speed and leaving only the cold wind behind.

* * *

"Stay back! I'm warning you!"

"Stay back? Don't you know who I am? Don't you know there is a war going on?!"

"I don't care about the war! I'm not a part of it anymore! Just leave! Go away and leave me alone!"

Cold, mocking laughter escaped Keski's mouth. "So you betrayed your own kind! I'm not surprised. I always knew you dark-types were cowards to the core!"

The mightyena in front of him growled, standing protectively in front of a cave. "I don't care what you think of me. Just leave. Please. What is one, insignificant life like mine worth to you?"

Keski smirked. "Sorry, but your kind is being purged from this land forever! My father will cleanse the whole world of your filth! Judgment has been passed already, I am just the executioner. So you see, I cannot let you live." He raised two golden-furred arms and brilliant blue energy formed between them, swirling into the shape of a sphere.

The mightyena tensed, growls fading as the blue energy reflected in his eyes. "Please…I'm begging you…don't do this. My mate is already dead! I'm sick of fighting!"

"Then fight no more," Keski answered coldly, firing. The dark-type tried to leap aside, but the sphere changed course slightly and struck him full in the chest. The explosion shattered his ribs and threw him backwards against the rocks. The rear half his body was instantly paralyzed on impact and he slid limply to the ground, whimpering in pain.

Keski sighed in annoyance and walked over, placing a palm on the mortally wounded Pokémon's head. Their eyes met. "I will grant you a merciful death, though you do not deserve it," Keski stated.

"Daddy!" a small voice called from in the cave. A small form came bounding toward them, tears in her eyes. "Get away from him!" She leapt at the lucario, teeth bared.

"Sweetheart! No!" the mightyena shouted. Without thinking, Keski's paw came up and caught the tiny poochyena. There was a small blast of blue fire and a high-pitched scream. The breath caught in the older dark-type's throat. "Oh…oh Arceus…why…?" Tears flooded his eyes, but not from physical pain.

Keski backed away shakily, staring at his red-stained paw like it was a foreign object. The small, crumpled form fallen next to her father horrified him. Small, frail, too young for the course of her life to be charted out yet. Only trying to defend her father, who was willing to die protecting her. "I'm…I'm sorry. I didn't think! I…"

"Monster…" the mightyena growled, snapping at his leg. Keski backpedaled quickly. "Monster! Giratina take you! Arceus throw you in the deepest pit of Hell!"

Keski's eyes widened. "I…I'm sorry!"

The mightyena growled. "Liar! You're a monster! You…you…killed…" He began weeping. "You killed my only daughter…right in front of me…"

"I…" No words would come. Keski felt fear well up inside him. He turned suddenly and ran. Ran away from the horrible scene. The dying, weeping father and the slain child lay behind him. But as he ran, the last words of the mightyena echoed after him.

"Arceus, hear me! If you still bear any love for my kind, I ask you to curse him! Make tragedy and pain follow him all the days of his life! This is my last plea! Curse the Golden Lucario! Forever!"

Keski awoke with a gasp. He sat bolt upright, fur sticking straight up and eyes wide. "It was only a dream…" he panted, calming down considerably, "It…was just a dream…that, at least, never happened. I never…never killed any chil-" He swallowed. "It was just a dream…"

Beside him, Bolt stirred. "What's wrong?"

Keski nearly jumped out of his fur. "Bolt! Why are you in my bed?!"

"This is my bed!" Bolt protested indignantly. Keski frowned in confusion, looking around.

"So it is…um…how did I get in your bed?" he asked.

Bolt blinked. "I have no idea. Now, what was your nightmare about?"

Keski chuckled wryly. "You ask that every time and I never have told you once." He paused. "Let's just say that it…was a reminder."

Bolt shifted, staring up at him inquisitively. "Like a memory."

"No! Thank Arceus for that…" Keski replied vehemently, "But…the scary thing is…it could have happened…" He lapsed into contemplative silence, shuddering occasionally.

"Well! The sun is up and I, for one, am curious about how we ended up in my bed," Bolt said, rolling over and onto the floor, "Plus, I'm hungry and I've got to practice several songs for today." He grinned. "Did I tell you? Yesterday, Cia said she really liked my singing! Even Blitz is starting to like it!"

Keski smiled. "Well, you certainly sing better than me by at least a mile. No wonder they enjoy it." He rose. "I'll come with you. I need to clear my head."

"Oh! Wait a sec!" Bolt said, "A little bit of gold is showing on your back."

Keski huffed in annoyance and reached for his bottle of dye. "Check the sheets. Don't want any stains on them."

Bolt nodded and complied. "Yeah, there is a smudged outline where you were sleeping."

"Crud…" Keski sighed. "Well, we'll have to wash that out…"

"Can we do that later?" Bolt pled, giving him a wide-eyed, cute look, "I'm really hungry…"

Keski nodded. "Sure, it's not like anyone is going to come in here anyway when we aren't around."

"Yay!" Bolt cheered, dashing for the door. Keski rolled his eyes and followed at a more sedate pace, his nightmare quickly forgotten in the hustle and bustle as they entered the main hall.

Breakfast was a lot calmer than that first fateful morning. Everyone went about in a more subdued manner, sobered by the events of four days ago. Guildmaster Majyk was nervous too, as if he expected something, but neither Bolt or Keski knew what. His demeanor, however, affected the entire guild, which made them all the more grateful for Bolt's performances. He always found a way to make them laugh, either at the stories and songs he recited or his own antics.

Keski remembered with a start that he hadn't meditated yet. It was the first time in forever that he had forgotten to, but considering the sort of things his subconscious seemed capable of conjuring up, he wasn't sure he wanted to be alone with his own thoughts right now.

He slumped into a cushioned chair by the fireplace. The harvest season was almost here. The past few days he had seen the townsfolk scurrying around in preparation for it. They'd better hurry, he thought to himself. Although it was still warm out now, he could tell it was going to be a cold winter. "Just like the ones where I was born…" he muttered. His grip tightened on the armrest as he gritted his teeth, unwelcome memories flooding to his brain.

"I hope you don't plan on crushing that."

Keski looked up sharply. "Good morning, Emerald." He released the armrest gingerly. "Sorry about that. I wasn't paying attention. I don't think it's damaged…"

"It's fine. We'll just add it to your bill," Emerald replied. Keski froze. "That was a joke."

"Oh, okay then," Keski said, sighing in relief.

Emerald sat down in the chair across from him, setting down her laden breakfast tray on the stool in front of her. "Would you like a scone?"

"Those bread-looking things?" Keski asked, pointing. Emerald rolled her eyes and nodded. "Yeah sure. Thanks. They look pretty good."

"Do you want any Razz Berry jam on it?" Emerald asked, picking one out and setting it aside for him.

"I'm not a big fan of Razz Berries…" Keski admitted, "They're a bit too fancy for my tastes."

"Really? Well, we have Cheri Jam as well."

"That sounds great. Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Keski received the scone and took a large bite. "Mm, this is pretty good. I like scones."

"Yes, they are delicious," Emerald agreed, dipping a spoon in a bowl of oatmeal and eating it.

Keski cleared his throat. "So…I was wondering, is there anyone in the guild who would have moved me from my bed to Bolt's last night?"

Emerald blinked. "Well, the pranksters are Mendigo and Ryke, but Ryke probably couldn't lift you." She frowned. "One of our Shift Orbs was found missing this morning. This might have something to do with it…"

"What's a shift orb?" Keski asked.

"It's a relatively new orb that creates an illusion around the target of the users design," Emerald explained, "It's similar to a zoroark's power, but only works on one person. If Mendigo used it on you when you were tired last night, you wouldn't have even noticed the illusion taking effect." She smiled apologetically. "Mendigo likes pulling harmless stunts like that. He says it 'provides opportune moments for drama and humorous moments'. I hope it didn't cause any trouble…"

The lucario waved the question away. "No. It's fine. Just surprised me when I woke up."

Emerald nodded and returned to her breakfast and tea. Keski finished his scone, licking his paws afterwards, and began staring off into space. The gardevoir watched him for a minute, a question on her mind, but hesitating to ask it. Finally, curiosity overcame her. "Tell me," she said, "Why do you dye your fur?"

Keski nearly choked. "Um, what? I don't dye my…I mean, where did that question come from?"

"Well, the first night you came, the water that struck you came away black," Emerald said, "Plus, I'm not an idiot and I know that lucarios do not have black fur all over their bodies. So…the question persists. Why do you dye your fur?"

Keski scrambled for an answer that would, if not satisfy her, at least pacify her. To his relief, one appeared almost instantly. "Stealth," he answered, "Black is stealthier than blue and cream…blends in better to the surrounding area."

"But why wear it all the time then?" Emerald asked, taking a sip of tea.

"Um…" Keski thought quickly. "I like it?" It wasn't a total lie, though he still hoped she wasn't reading his mind.

"I see…" she said in an unconvinced tone, "Well, it might interest you to know that a government official arrived last night. He might want to review your case. It's a very small chance, but it could happen."

"Alright…" Keski sighed, "Well, if it will help…"

"Probably not," Emerald said, "If I were you, I'd avoid getting a representative of the central government involved. It will just slow things down."

"Ah…okay," Keski consented, "if you say so."

"I wonder though why he is here," Emerald pondered aloud, "It's not like we're the most interesting city…"

* * *

Roxy squeaked in alarm as she was nearly run down by a gastrodon. It wasn't that it was moving particularly fast, just with determination and blatant disregard for any who stood in its way. "Hey!" she snapped, "Watch where you're going!"

"You stay out of my way," the water type shot back, continuing on its way.

"Rude!" Roxy huffed, wiping her fur down. She wrinkled her nose. "And slimy! Ugh, I hate this town!" She squeaked when she realized how loud she had said that and that there were other Pokémon watching. She smiled sheepishly and quickly flew down the street away from them.

"Lord Sable wants wine in the morning. I'll get him wine," she muttered, "Where do they sell wine in this town?!" Her eyes fell on the tavern. She stared at it nervously, hesitant to enter such a plebian establishment. "Well…they'd have wine! And…other things." She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and stepped bravely forward into the building.

Immediately she almost turned around and left. Several hung-over sailors and the innkeeper were the only ones present. She looked around in trepidation, wondering what in the world she was supposed to do now. She swallowed. Steeling her nerves, she approached the bar. The innkeeper glanced over at her, his hanging jowls and jutting fangs giving him a fierce expression no matter what emotion he was feeling at the time. "Hello," he said in a deep, rumbling voice, "What does a pretty little thing like you want here?"

Roxy squeaked again as he leaned over the bar toward her. "U-u-uh good morning…Sir! I…I just wanted to buy some wine, b-but I think I'll just be on my way…"

"Nonsense, little lady!" the big granbull laughed, coming around the bar remarkably quickly and blocking her escape, "Now what sort of wine will it be?"

"Oh…oh…oh anything, really!" Roxy replied shakily. Then she remembered herself and cleared her throat. "I-I mean, your finest of course!"

The granbull laughed loudly. "Of course! Stay right there, I'll bring some out for ya!" He lumbered back through the door to the storage room, leaving her standing stiffly in the middle of the room. She glanced around nervously, aware of the several eyes staring at her. Whispers went around the room, not all of them welcome to her ears. Her fur crackled with a combination of fear and indignation. Sailors were such a rowdy bunch, she thought to herself, but she'd sooner try to fly across the entire Great Sea than agree to some of the things they were whispering about.

One of them got up, a brawny poliwhirl. He approached her with a swagger. She backed up, squeaking again when her back hit the bar. The poliwhirl leaned up against it casually, boxing her in with this body. "Hoy there, how about you come with me and me mates back to the ole' _Sea Maiden_ and we have some fun?"

"No thank you!" Roxy said emphatically, "And get away from me! You smell awful!"

The poliwhirl rumbled in displeasure. "I warn't exactly askin', if you catch me drift."

Roxy suddenly changed her attitude, talking in a sultry tone. "Well in that case…" Little pink hearts floated from her paw and struck the poliwhirl, "lead the way."

He did exactly that, she just didn't follow, staying right where she was and watching him run out the door. She heaved a relieved sigh and slumped against the bar. Shortly thereafter, the innkeeper returned with a bottle of wine. She bought it hurriedly and ran out the door.

"Peasants!" she muttered to herself, running down the street back to the governor's mansion, "So many peasants! Even the governor's house is smaller than _my_ chambers back home, and I'm merely Lord Sable's secretary!"

She arrived at Lord Sable's guest quarters out of breath and panting hard. She knocked. "Yes?" the sableye called.

"Lord Sable! I have the drink you requested!" she replied.

"Ah, Roxy, come in. The door should be unlocked."

She pushed it open and carried her delivery inside. "You really should lock your door, my lord," she lightly scolded, "There's no telling what these backwater mongrels would do if they broke in here at night."

Lord Sable laughed and grinned widely, displaying his razor sharp teeth. "Oh trust me, if they broke in, they'd regret it. _If_ they survived."

"That's nice, sir," Roxy said with a nervous giggle, "Wine?"

"Hit me."

The emolga dutifully poured him a glass. "So…the cacturne died."

"Yep." Lord Sable sipped the wine, reclining in his comfortably padded chair. "But he did what I intended, so there is really no harm done. We're still on schedule for the main event."

"The main event?" Roxy questioned, "I didn't know that was approved yet. What if the Management doesn't sign off on it?"

"They will," Sable stated, unconcerned, "I'm one of the Seven, after all. They can't refuse me what I want."

Roxy nodded, but remained unconvinced. "My lord? May I ask you something?"

Sable took another sip of wine. "Sure thing, doll."

Roxy took a deep breath. "Who or what exactly are 'the Seven?"

"Ah." Sable hopped to his feet, a grin spreading across his face. "The direct representatives of the Queen of Air and Darkness. My mistress and yours now too. Though I, for one, am not content playing second fiddle. That's why I came first. I want this world for myself. I intend to take it, whether she likes it or not." He laughed. "But for now, I do her bidding. Taking over is more of a long term goal."

Roxy's eyes shone with admiration. "Wow…the whole world! And will you keep me by your side?"

Sable threw back his head and laughed. "Of course! I never let anything go. After all, avarice is in my nature. Heh, it _is_ my nature!"

Roxy poured herself a glass of wine and sat down next to him. "So…what happens now?"

"Simple," Sable responded lightly, "We wait for the second attack and wait for the good guildmaster to give himself away."

"The second…? Oh, you mean he's attacking today?" Roxy asked, "But sir, what's the point? Why schedule these attacks at all if the guildmaster will just destroy the experiments in the end? The cacturne didn't even get to the guildmaster!"

"Ah, but he did leave over half the guild incapacitated," Sable said with a malicious grin, "And so, our dear friend Master Majyk will hesitate to commit his dear underlings to the fight. In fact, they will be afraid to face him at all."

* * *

Naila burst into the guildhall. "Master Majyk! Master Majyk! Come quickly!"

Instantly, the alakazam teleported to the sandslash's side. "What? What's wrong?"

She looked up at him, scared. "We…we have another one."

Majyk paled. "Another…another cacturne like the last one?"

"No," Naila said grimly, "A hariyama, standing outside of town, and challenging us to come out and fight."

_"__He will be wracked with indecision," Sable said, taking another sip, "and so, he'll first send Mendigo, who he'll assume is immune to our pawn's attacks."_

"Let me go," Mendigo suggested, "I can take a fighting type. His fists will pass right through me."

"Yes…" Majyk replied, speaking as one in a daze, "We must meet his challenge before he starts attacking the town." His eyes focused on Mendigo. "Go. If…if things go poorly, I will send the others."

"Then I'll be off!" Mendigo said cheerily, "Be back in a flash." With that, the ghost-type went zipping straight through the wall in the direction of the main gate.

_"__But of course, we can't forget Chief Pyre, who despite his penchant for tail-chasing is remarkably free from other character defects, including cowardice. He will take it upon himself to challenge this new threat in order to protect the town and the Starchaser Guild._"

"State your name and your business," Lt. Cascade demanded, standing beside Pyre and Kachi as they blocked the entrance to town. Across from them stood a hulking brute of a fighting-type with squinting, malicious eyes. He pounded its belly aggressively, glaring at the officers.

"I am Subject 66!" he bellowed, "And I am here to destroy the Starchaser Guild!"

"Then it might interest you to know that the previous Pokémon who attempted that is now dead," Pyre stated matter-of-factly, "Turns out, fighting them is hazardous to your health.

"_I'm_ hazardous to _your_ health!" the fighting-type roared, charging toward them.

"Chief! Look out!" Kachi shouted. Just before the quilava was turned into a pancake, a ball of black, crackling energy struck the hariyama and threw him backwards off his feet.

"Hi there!" Mendigo called, "Leave this guy to me! You all stay back and out of sight. He seems like one of those 'all brawn no brains' types, so he probably won't attack if he can't see you."

_"__And it would normally be a one-sided battle with Mendigo the winner," Sable admitted, "Were it not for the Reprogramming. All it will take is one good hit and…" He clicked his claws. "Scratch one shedinja."_

The Hariyama rose to its feet with a grunt. "Ha!" he scoffed, pounding his belly again, "That was like the bite of a flea!"

"Flea, eh?" Mendigo chuckled darkly. "Well then! I suppose I will have to up the ante!" With that, he blurred, becoming as insubstantial as a shadow, and rushed the monstrous fighting type. He struck him in the shoulder, shooting by and leaving a small gash behind. "Heh, see that? All I have to do is go back and forth, slowly whittling you down until you collapse! I didn't get my Ultra Rank for nothing, you know. Oh, and don't think you can hit me. To you, my body is as insubstantial as a wraith."

The hariyama threw back his head and laughed. "Tiny bug! I'll squash you beneath my fist!"

"Oh really?" Mendigo drawled, unimpressed, "Wow, you are thick-headed. Maybe a little more pain will convince you otherwise…" A glowing point of energy appeared to the shedinja's right. He shot forward, spinning his body so that the energy moved like the tip of a blade and struck the hariyama right in the head. Undaunted, the fighting type reached for him. "Idiot," Mendigo said. But to his surprise, his opponent's hand, which was nearly as big as he was became wreathed in dark violet mist. It struck him like a brick, partially cracked his shell, and sent him flying backwards, over the wall and into the city.

"Hahahaha!" the hariyama laughed, "Who's next?"

"Ow…" Mendigo said, "That…_really_ hurt."

_"__Will it kill him?" Roxy asked._

_"__Possibly, though our pawn is only ordered to incapacitate the Starchasers, not kill them," Sable answered, refilling his glass._

_"__My lord, I'm a bit confused about that aspect of your plan," Roxy said, "Although I don't particularly wish them dead, I'm at a loss about why you would permit very dangerous opponents like them to live."_

_"__Simple," Sable chuckled, "What doesn't die is worth Reprogramming. So you see, this is a sort of test for the members of the guild as well. We can't have them in the way, messing up our plans, but I see no need to waste good material." He grinned. "I believe the guilds in general will be our main harvesting ground for new subjects, minus those acquired through the Incentives Program."_

_Roxy shivered, the mention of that particular angle of the organization they were a clandestine part of filling her with revulsion. "So after Mendigo falls, what next?"_

_"__Well…" Sable folded his claws, musing over the question, "He won't risk Team Tails. They're too young. He will either send Emerald or Team Tremor, but the latter is more likely, despite the obvious disadvantage of one of its members."_

_"__Because of her parents?" Roxy guessed, remembering what she had read in the extensive notes on the subject._

_"__Heh, precisely…He'd rather reveal himself than risk her. She's too precious to him."_

"But guildmaster…" Ryke whined, "I don't want to be the errand boy! I want to help fight!"

"No!" Majyk snapped, "If this thing was able to take down Mendigo, then it is just as dangerous as the one from before!"

Emerald rose, determination in her eyes. "I will go."

Majyk looked stricken. "Emerald…please…"

"Master…" Emerald's tone was annoyed. "I appreciate your concern, but I won't allow more of our family to get hurt when either one of us could end this!"

_"__He won't dare risk his adopted daughter facing a monster. He'll take any other option. He'll delay, allowing the police to bear the brunt of the assault."_

"Mendigo!" Kachi screeched to a halt beside the fallen bug. "Hey! You alright?"

"No…" Mendigo replied succinctly, his voice sounding even more distant and echoing than normal, "I'm going to need a bit to recouperate."

Kachi tentatively picked him up. "Pyre! Be right back! I'm taking Mendigo to safety!"

"Well hurry up!" the police chief snapped, fire flaring from the back of his head and tail.

_"__So, Majyk will hesitate, sending only a few at a time, because, at his core," Roxy said, projecting what her lord was going to say, "He is afraid of losing any of them."_

_Sable grinned wickedly. "Heh, you got it. After the first attack, he most likely knows that somewhere, someone is watching him. It's just too obvious. Someone of his intelligence could hardly miss the fact that these attacks are coordinated. Even if he is not a Sealbearer, he knows something is up. So he's torn. Torn between protecting the wounded and protecting those going into battle. Of course, if he _is_ a Sealbearer, then he is even less likely to fight for fear that we might see and know. And once we know..." He held up the now-empty bottle and peered through it, grinning. "We can strike whenever is convenient. He, however, will have to constantly be on his guard, looking over his shoulder. Oh, he is afraid. So very afraid."_

"We'll go," Naila offered in muted tones.

"No, Naila!" Majyk responded, "Stuffy would be vulnerable. I…I will not unnecessarily risk another injury."

"Well you need to make a decision soon," Emerald argued, "Otherwise that thing will come here to us!"

_"__So will he reveal himself, do you think?" Roxy asked._

_"__Oh, of course he will!" Sable said with a laugh, "If not now, then at the main event. After all, he genuinely loves his guild. He would never forgive himself if anything happened to them. All it will take is a large enough push."_

"I'm ordering you to stand down!" Pyre shouted at the hariyama, who was looking past him in the direction where Kachi had disappeared with Mendigo.

"Bah! Take him! He was weak!" the fighting-type said. A cruel grin spread across his face. "Let's see how you fare, little rat!" With that, he charged, heading straight into a blazing flamethrower attack from the police chief.

"Get the townspeople to the station. It should offer some safety," Cascade ordered the two officers behind her as she drew he scallops, "The chief and I have a date with an ogre."

_"__So…you have it all planned out," Roxy said, very impressed._

_"__Down to the last variable," Sable said smugly, "I haven't overlooked anything."_

"Well what about this mysterious Shadow, then?" Emerald glared at her guildmaster, voice dripping with sarcasm. "What about him? Don't you call upon him whenever the rest of us don't measure up?"

"He's recovering," Majyk replied stolidly, "And he is far from invincible."

"But you trust him more than me, apparently!" Emerald snapped.

"Excuse me, Master Majyk?"

Majyk and Emerald stopped the heated argument they were having and looked down at Bolt. "Yes?" the alakazam asked, a bit hostilely.

Bolt stood up straight, a hard look in his eyes. "I would like to go. I'll protect the others for you. I've seen what the cacturne did and I can only imagine what this other one is doing. I know that someone needs to stay and protect the guild, and since you two are the most powerful, that should be you. So I am offering to go in your place."

Majyk shook his head. "Out of the question. You are a prisoner here, albeit a welcome one. Your songs won't help here, I'm afraid."

"Sir, my I can do more than just sing songs," Bolt protested, "And besides, Keski will be there too."

Keski bowed. "Indeed. I'm kind of supposed to protect him, so…if he's going to be an idiot, I have to be one too."

Majyk smiled, though it was not particularly happy. "Brave souls, both of you. Go then."

Emerald sighed and slumped into a chair. Hesitatingly, Majyk put a hand on her shoulder. "I promise, if they do not succeed, I will go."

She looked him straight in the eye. "You had better pull through on that promise."

_Sable rose. "Come, we must see the conclusion of the battle. Whether or not the guildmaster reveals himself here is of no matter. We still have the main event after all."_

Cascade ducked under another clumsy attempt at smashing her face in, responding with two slashes directed at her opponent's arm. They barely scratched its skin, which was thick and tough like the rest of the skin on the hariyama's body. Cascade let out a barely audible sigh. Kachi had taken a glancing blow and would probably have his ribs bruised for the next two weeks. He and Pyre had fallen back, preferring to engage the target from afar. Her natural agility and daily training had allowed her to remain in close quarters combat, though fatigue was taking a toll on her limbs. It was only a matter of time before…

A strong blow caught her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her and throwing her back a few meters. She rolled as she landed, coming up in a crouched stance. Almost immediately, though, she felt an odd burning where the blow had struck and gave a small cry, falling to her knees.

"Cascade!" Pyre called in alarm.

"So you _do_ care about me…" Cascade muttered, "That's nice…" She gritted her teeth and collapsed entirely, the burning spreading quickly to her entire body. "This is not exactly pleasant, sir."

"Weak! Weak! Weak!" the hariyama bellowed, "I am beginning to get angry! I was promised strong opponents! I will tear this town apart if I do not find them!"

"Then look no farther!" Bolt's jaunty voice called, "For I present to you Keski the Bone-Crusher! Terror of the Great Sea! Thief of Hearts and Diamonds! Most dread pirate in all the land!"

Kachi and Pyre turned, blinking in surprise as the duo emerged from the gates. Bolt had a huge grin on his face while Keski just walked with a confident air. "Say what now?" the electric mouse said, scratching his head.

The hariyama looked doubtful. "I've never heard of him…" he muttered, "Is he strong?"

"Oh yes!" Bolt said, nodding, "The strongest!"

Kachi leaned over and whispered in Pyre's ear. "He's bluffing, right?"

"I think so…" Pyre whispered back, "I've never heard of a pirate named Keski. Now quick, let's grab Cascade while he's distracted." The two officers surreptitiously edged around the hariyama to recover their fallen comrade.

"This plan had better work…" Keski murmured out of the corner of his mouth, "Are you sure you know how to boost my power enough?"

Bolt nodded and grinned. "Yep! Go get him!"

Keski rolled his eyes and stepped forward, assuming a crouched position. "Are you just going to stand there all day or are we going to fight?" he growled, glaring at the hariyama. The fighting-type laughed.

"You, you are more like it!" he shouted with a grin, "I like you! I think I'll mount your skull on my wall, just to remind me of you!"

"Well then!" Keski said, raising an eyebrow, "I guess that rules out having my head bashed in, right?"

"True! Instead…" The Hariyama's eyes lit up with cruelty and bloodlust. "I'll crush your ribs!"

Keski faltered slightly. He'd fought plenty of opponents in his previous travels, but none with the same outright, open viciousness that this one possessed. His heart was already pounding and the fight hadn't even started yet. He swallowed, regaining his composure. "Well, you'll have to beat me first."

The hariyama pounded his monstrous fists together and grinned. His skin momentarily flashed dark violet and his form swelled slightly, making him even taller and more imposing. "Come then!"

And then the fight began. Keski leapt forward, ramming into the monster's stomach with his shoulder. It was a light blow and did nothing except force the Hariyama to take a step back. Steel-types are heavier than their size would suggest.

The hariyama chuckled and raised a tremendous palm, bringing it down with the force of a pile-driver. Keski leapt aside, avoiding the crushing blow, while simultaneously ramming his elbow into his opponent's stomach. Subject 66 grunted and stepped back, rubbing his stomach.

"Impressive! Mildly," he exclaimed, "You hit hard! Much harder than the others!" The violet aura flashed again and he grew even more, but this time it stayed around both his hands. "Which will make my victory over you all the more satisfying!" He charged. Keski scrambled back to avoid being trampled by his all-out furious assault. He was unrelenting, never giving the lucario a moment to regain his balance and counter-attack. Each blow had the potential to be fatal, or at least crippling, if it struck. Fortunately for Keski, the hariyama wasn't so much concerned with strategy as he was aiming his thrusts at the nearest part of the lucario's body.

"Little help would be…" Keski ducked, feeling the swoosh of wind passing over his head, "Appreciated, Bolt!"

"Okay! One second then, let me get ready." Bolt cleared his throat and, in a loud, clear voice, sang, "Fight, fight, fight real well! So you don't get creamed!"

Slowly, both the fighting types stopped what they were doing and turned to stare at him, dumb-founded. "Bolt!" Keski snapped, "What the heck are you doing?!"

Bolt grinned. "Inspiring competence and increasing your abilities with my Helping Hand technique!"

Keski's glare was murderous. Bolt cringed, grinning sheepishly. "THAT WAS YOUR STRATEGY?!"

"Well, yeah…"

Keski stared at him, completely dumbfounded. Suddenly, the hariyama's giant hand wrapped around Keski's torso and arms, pinning them to his sides, and lifted him in the air. "Bolt! If I survive this, I swear I am going to get you for this!"

"Your friend is and idiot, but you're an idiot for fighting me!" the Hariyama boomed right in Keski's ear. The lucario struggled in his grip, glaring at both the hariyama and Bolt with a murderous growl in his throat. "Crushing time!" the hariyama declared as his form swelled yet a third time so he was now three times Keski's height.

Keski flexed all the muscles in his upper body as an immense amount of pressure suddenly fell upon his ribs. His legs and hips were free, so he kicked at the Hariyama's face. His opponent laughed and squeezed harder. "Bolt…" he gasped, "Help me…for real this time…"

Bolt gulped, wracking his brain for ideas. "Um…hey! Put him down now! You'll impale your hand on the spike on his chest!"

"He _is_!" Keski snapped, "It's just not affecting him!" He kicked the hariyama right in the eye, causing him to grunt. In a flash, Bolt was right underneath him, biting the ogre's ankle with electrified fangs. The sharp points pierced the skin, channeling the electricity right into the more sensitive flesh below. His grip weakened. With one, desperate effort, Keski drove the spikes on his wrists right into the joint of the hariyama's hands, weakening his grip enough for the lucario to wriggle out of it. Keski scrambled backwards, nearly tripping over himself in his haste to put distance between him and the monstrous fighting-type.

A moment later, he heard Bolt yelp in surprise and then something slammed right into his back, knocking him down. "Wow," Bolt said from on top of him, slightly dazed, "He throws pretty well…Oh, and your shoulders don't make that good of a landing spot."

"Gee, I'll work on that," Keski drawled sarcastically, "Now get off me!"

"Okay, okay. Sheesh…" Bolt stepped off quickly, unfortunately placing one paw directly on Keski's tail. The lucario growled and leapt to his feet only to see the hariyama laughing at them.

"Pathetic!" he proclaimed, "But I'm still going to mount your skull on my wall!"

Keski growled, crouching low to the ground. As the hariyama approached, he lunged forward, tripping him with a low blow to the ankles. The monstrous fighting-type collapsed, slamming into the ground and leaving a nice impression in the soft earth. He groaned, hoisting his great bulk upright with some difficulty.

"Great! Now do that about twenty more times or so and we'll win!" Bolt said cheerfully.

"You! You tick me off!" the hariyama bellowed angrily, "Die! You should die! Die now!"

"Well that's rude!" Bolt huffed indignantly, "I personally like being alive! It's fun! You can see all the flowers! Walk on the beach! Ooh! Keski! We should build a sandcastle after this!"

"Bolt! Stay focused!" the lucario snapped.

"I WILL CRUSH THE STUPID FLOWERS!" the hariyama shouted. Bolt and Keski winced, covering their ears.

"Didn't know that he knew Uproar…" Bolt muttered, "And for your information, my sister happens to love flowers!"

"Good! I'll crush her too! Make an eevee pancake!"

Bolt's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What was that?" he asked, angry sparks flying across his fur.

"I'll crush your sister, her stupid flowers, _and_ your sandcastle!" the hariyama said smugly. Bolt gasped in horror, but then more and more sparks flew over his body in an uncontrolled manner.

"Not happening," he growled.

"But first, I'll crush you!" The monstrous Pokémon dashed forward, violet mist erupting from him as his form swelled to tremendous dimensions, leaving his hands shrouded in purple. "This time for good!"

The electricity in Bolt's fur crackled and faded for a second as Keski took a step back. The jolteon took a deep breath. "Thunder's…" The hariyama pulled back both hands in preparation for a strike. "…ROAR!" A tremendous wave of force mixed with sparks shot out from the young jolteon, picking the hariyama up and throwing him back fifty feet. He did several unwilling backwards somersaults when he landed, going head over heels backwards. When he finally came to a stop, sparks crackled across his body, making him jerk randomly. He was completely paralyzed.

"How do you like that?!" Bolt cheered, "Thunder wave/Roar combo! I call it, Thunder's Roar! And, since it's such a cool name, I have to shout it every time I use it!" He grinned. "That will teach you to talk about crushing my sister!"

"What about me, _your best friend_?" Keski crossed his arms. "You didn't seem too torn up when he was actually crushing _me_!"

"Oh, I knew you'd survive," Bolt said dismissively.

"Your faith in me is so flattering and infuriating at the same time…" Keski growled.

"We can talk about that later! Let's beat him up while he's still paralyzed!" Bolt suggested. Keski rolled his eyes and nodded.

"His hide is pretty hard to penetrate, so go for the knees and elbows," he ordered. Bolt grinned, baring his pointy teeth. "Yes, those will work well."

They leapt on top of their opponent. Bolt's teeth penetrated the skin near the elbow, sending electricity coursing into his body. Keski formed small pockets of blue aura, slamming them into the Pokémon's knees in an attempt to bruise or even break the bones. However, if this perturbed the hariyama, it gave no sign. It glared and shouted out garbled insults and threats, but there were no cries of pain. And the paralysis was quickly wearing off.

Keski suddenly received a kick to the face, knocking him flat on his back and giving him a bloody nose. An instant later, Bolt was thrown high into the air, flailing wildly in alarm. He landed on his feet, stumbled a bit, and established his balance.

"Well that didn't work," Bolt muttered.

"Mo kibbing!" Keski said, speech slurred by his bleeding nose and the paw he had placed over it.

The hariyama rose slowly, anger stamped on his features, but no sign of weakness. For the fifth time, he erupted in mist and grew to almost twice his original height. "I am practically unstoppable! Beat me up! Paralyze me! Poison me! Blast me with aura! Burn me with fire! I will not tire! I will not stop! And when you are tired, I will crush you! Fool!"

"Fool! Yes!" Bolt said, grinning, "A foolish fool! Foolishly fooling around with foolishly foolish fool ideas of tomfoolery!"

"You talk too much!" the hariyama snapped.

"Foolish ideas, like fighting something that can't be defeated!" Bolt continued, "Now, I'm thinking, if we can't defeat it, is it possible to contain it? But then I realized you'd probably break out of a normal prison. So, here I am running my mouth and have almost no idea what I am supposed to do!"

"He wa' bight," Keski muttered, "You bo dalk doo much 'omedimes."

"Hold on a minute, I'm not done yet!" Bolt stated.

"Shut up!" the monstrous fighting-type roared, charging toward them. For the sixth time, he swelled, now towering over them like a colossus.

Bolt spread his legs, took a deep breath, gathered some electricity, and shouted, "Thunder's…ROAR!" Like before, the hariyama was tossed backwards, towards the cliffs that overlooked the sea. "If you would be so kind as to let me finish, I said _almost _no idea! See, it occurred to me that we are near a cliff and even a fall from that height might cause some damage to you, so…" He took another breath. "Thunder's…ROAR!" Another wave of force swept out of the jolteon's mouth, sending the enemy Pokémon over the edge with a bellow of rage.

Keski stared at Bolt in a mixture of amazement and incredulity at his seeming stupidity. " 'ou realize thab he is p'obably s'ill conscious, righ'?"

"Yep!" Bolt said, not perturbed at all, "That's why we are going to drop the cliff on him!"

Keski blinked. "Say wha' now?"

Bolt pouted. "Use earthquake on the cliff's edge and bury him with it!"

Keski sighed. "Well, stanb back t'en…" Bolt nodded and sat down while he approached the edge. He clapped his tow paws together, wreathing them both in blue aura. With a sudden movement, he slammed both down onto the ground. A pulse of aura radiated out from him, traveling through the ground and cracking it. Keski leapt to his feet, turned, and ran like the Yveltal himself was chasing him as the cliff's edge cracked and crumbled. With one, thunderous noise, a twenty foot deep by fifty foot wide span of it snapped off from the rest and tumbled down, crashing on top of the hariyama below, burying him in a slide of stone, gravel, and dirt. Keski peeked over the newly-formed cliff-edge. There was no sign of movement.

"…" Keski shook his head in disbelief. "I…wow."

Bolt grinned proudly. "All the strength in the world won't help him if he can't move! Now we just have to get Chief Pyre to set guard to it and make sure he doesn't escape!"

At that very moment, the police chief himself came back with the entire complement of police officers at his command. After securing Cascade, he had briefly weighed his options and decided it would work better if he were to gather the entire force, eight Pokémon in all but reduced to six with Astro and Cascade wounded, to combat the threat. This would leave the town undefended, but it was a risk he felt was necessary.

He pulled up short when he reached the gate and saw no sign of the hariyama. Bolt waved cheerfully to him. "Hi there chief! Hi Kachi! We were just talking about you!" He pointed to the cliff's edge. "I knocked him off and Keski dropped the cliff-side on him! He should be trapped, but I would set guard to the place anyway. Just in case, you know?"

Pyre scrutinized him warily, unsure of what to make of this new development. "_You_ defeated him?"

Bolt nodded. "Yep! I used a combination of Roar and Thunder Wave to knock him off the cliff and then Keski used Earthquake to bring it down on top of him!"

Pyre turned to his subordinates. "Officer Tyne! Officer Marshwalker! Go down and secure the area immediately!" Two of them saluted and darted off to the nearest path down the cliff. Pyre turned back and beckoned both Bolt and Keski over, eyes narrowing suspiciously. "If this is some sort of trick…" Keski and Bolt both assured him it was not. Pyre sighed and turned to Kachi. "You want to tell them or should I?"

Kachi slumped dejectedly. "I'll tell them…"

Keski crossed his arms, sniffing as the bleeding in his nose stopped. "Tell us what?"

The pikachu grinned nervously. "Now, don't take this too hard, okay? We are very grateful that you defeated the hariyama and all, but…for destroying the cliff, there is a thousand gold fine."

Keski frowned. "What's one gold worth compared to one copper?"

"Ah, that's the thing…" Kachi said apologetically, "One gold is worth a hundred coppers…"

Bolt's expression fell. "But…we…saved the town…"

"And you will be rewarded!" Chief Pyre proclaimed, "With _ten_ gold pieces…well, a hundred silver ones, really, but it adds up to ten gold pieces."

"So, you see…" Kachi said, "You can pay off your original fine, but this one is going to take a bit of work…"

Keski growled. "I think I want to have a talk with the governor of this town." He cracked his knuckles. "If you know what I mean."

Pyre and Kachi glared at him. "Yes, we know what you mean. But we are the police," Pyre said, "And we can't let you do that."

"He _is_ the legal authority of this town," Kachi said, "So you are not to threaten or attack him. Clear?"

Keski sighed. "Yeah, clear. We won't do anything. More, that is."

"Good," Pyre growled, "Now, we had better return you to the guild and begin cleaning up this whole mess. I know I will be having a rather _pointed_ chat with the guildmaster concerning this and…other things he has told us. Why don't you take them, Kachi? And check on Astro while you're at it."

Kachi saluted smartly. "Yes sir. Come with me, you two."

* * *

Roxy stood next to Lord Sable, watching the lucario and jolteon that had defeated the hariyama in wide-eyed astonishment. Of course, 66 hadn't been exactly intelligent. The Reprogramming had increased his strength and endurance, making him nearly impossible for anyone except a psychic or flying type to defeat him. Even a flying type should have had difficulty once he had begun using his reprogrammed Bulk Up. Since flying-types were scarce around Seaside Crest, the assumption had been that either Emerald or Majyk would be the ones to face and defeat the hariyama, but that had turned out to be incorrect. It appeared that there was one thing Sable's plan had not accounted for: outside interference.

"Lord Sable…?" Roxy asked, turning to him.

"…" Sable's face was expressionless. "Find out everything about them. I want to know who they are and where they came from. I want their date of birth. I want their mothers' maiden names. I want _everything_, got it?"

Roxy nodded. "Yes, Lord Sable, I'll get on it right away!"


	6. Chapter 6: Crash Landing

Chapter 6:

Crash-Landing

_"__We are all on Earth to help others: what on earth the others are here for I don't know," W. H. Auden_

Majyk blinked, eyes adjusting to the sudden darkness in the room he had just entered. There was no source of light in it, making it very hard to see anything. He sighed. "Shadow, I know you like the dark, but you really should at least put a candle in here."

A chuckle came from the corner of the room. "Sorry, master. You're the only other one who comes here. It didn't seem important."

With barely a second of concentration, Majyk summoned a weak, hovering light just bright enough to see the room with. On the bed in the corner, a black and red form shifted, blocking the light from his eyes with his arm. "Hey! Warn me next time, would you?"

Majyk's lips curled into a slight smile. "How are you feeling, Shadow?"

The arm lowered slowly, revealing two blue eyes behind it. As his eyes adjusted to the light, Majyk was able to make out a bit more of his form. Black-furred body, red mane, clawed fingers. On first glance a perfectly normal zoroark, discounting the small red streak of fur around his neck and the snow-white streaks that ran through his long mane. Majyk was the only one who knew the truth and, if things went well, it would stay that way.

"Sore," the zoroark answered ruefully, "Not as much as Team Firestrike or Snowpaw I'd wager, but still…"

"And how is your side?" Majyk asked. Shadow shifted nervously. The alakazam's eyes glared at him. "You haven't been tampering with the bandage again, have you?"

"It was digging into me and making it hard to sleep," Shadow muttered defensively. Majyk crossed his arms and the zoroark sighed. "Sorry…Still can't believe how much energy that cacturne drained from me…"

At the mention of the guild's dead attacker, Majyk stiffened. "It was…a most unusual Pokémon."

"A monster…" Shadow agreed. He closed his eyes and dropped his head. "Master…am I a monster too?"

Majyk looked at him sharply. "Certainly not! If anything, you're a hero!"

"Well, yes…" Shadow agreed hesitantly, "But…what was I before you found me? I…I've tried to remember, but it's like everything in my life before I woke up on that island is…it's a giant blank spot." He looked up, pain in his eyes. "Why am I not allowed to show myself to the rest of the guild? Why do I have to do everything in secret? If I'm a hero, why am I hiding from the ones I'm saving?"

"In time, you will step into the light," Majyk assured him, "But for now, the world is not ready for one with your…power to appear again. Just be patient."

Shadow's shoulders slumped. "I will try, master."

Majyk smiled and patted his shoulder. "Good. Now, lie down please. I'll tend to your injury." Shadow nodded and mutely rolled onto his side.

"Once upon a time, in a far-away land, there was king who went by the name of Ferdinand. He was renowned throughout the land for his enormous appetite, but some of his subjects thought that was not quite right. "How can a king eat so much?" they asked themselves, "There's barely any food left for _us_ on our shelves!"

"So they gathered together and conjured up a plan. They chose one to represent them, the people of the land. He was a tiny little umbreon named Shadowsong, whose body was small but ears were long.

"He marched up to the castle with his head held high, up to the towers that reached to pierce the sky. He knocked on the doors with a 'Bang! Bang! Bang!' It echoed through the halls and through the towers rang. "Oh your majesty!" he called in a voice loud and clear, "I come from all your subjects with a message for you to hear! Now, you've been eating all our food, you see, and that is something we just cannot let be. And so, in light of your gross food attraction, we hereby declare a food revolution!"

"Ferdinand was puzzled by this and rose from his throne. Underneath his ponderous weight his legs gave a groan. The snorlax king waddled up to the top of the wall, and there saw a sight that nearly made him fall. Peasants armed with spears of celery topped with carrots! They stood in a line, surrounding him and his high-topped turrets. "Guards!" King Ferdinand called in desperation, "Come quick! Post-haste! It's a food revolution!"

"The guards came running quickly, armed with tomatoes, to which the peasants responded with a salvo of potatoes. "Load the catapults!" the captain shouted aloud, which the guards did with fervor proud. From the catapults they launched Razz Berry Pie, which flew up, up, up into the sky. "Load them again! Faster!" the captain said louder, and this time the guards loaded them with chowder.

"The peasants responded with a volley of cabbage, which the king thought to be quite savage. Cakes, pies, apples, and various types of berry, really anything that they could carry. Bushels of wheat and bundles of barley, even the old baker, Barnabas Farley.

"The battle raged on, into the night, and by morning there was quite a sight. All the food in the land lay on the ground, trampled and stepped on, scattered all round. The king and the peasants wailed in dismay, and all together they rued the sad day. Then, to the front stepped Shadowsong, whose body was small but ears were long. "Friends," he said, "We are left without food, various and sundry, so I suggest we conquer another country!"

"The peasants cheered, the king was delighted, arm in arm they went off to have their dilemma righted. And so began the Great Food Fights of the Continent of Caltoo, and if you don't believe me, here's a pie for you!"

Bolt finished his singing with a flourish and bowed to the cheers and laughter of his audience. Keski sighed and began cleaning the (very delicious) pie off his face. The wounded Starchasers were sort of a captive audience, but Bolt was not a bad entertainer so they didn't mind. Cyon was even considering asking him to perform at the Harvest Festival, if he and Keski were still around. He secretly hoped that they were delayed, though he never would have told them that.

"That was absolutely delightful, Bolt!" the male glaceon said from where he was seated in the infirmary.

"Yeah, it was pretty neat," Medi agreed, organizing supplies in the corner, "Remember that Cotton is sleeping in the next room, so don't be _too_ loud."

"Thank you, thank you!" Bolt said with a grin, "Any other songs?"

"That wasn't real singing," Blitz growled, "That was just talking in rhythm with slightly musical qualities."

"On the contrary!" Bolt said indignantly, "It's what's known as a Patter Song. It's often used in drama and theater."

"Oh really?" Blitz said in disbelief, "And how do you know?"

"I studied it," Bolt replied, "I'm a bard, remember?"

"Yeah…" Blitz grunted.

"Well there you go!" Bolt said brightly, smiling at him, "So…once again, anyone want to hear another song?"

"I'm good with whatever," Mendigo said, a bandage wrapped around his body to help him mend the crack in his shell.

"How about… Battle Start!" Corona asked.

"Or, Evening Melody?" Cia suggested.

"Ugh, no." Corona wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Sorry, Cia, I'm with Corona on this one," Yuki said.

"I want to hear how he beat that hariyama again," Blitz said gruffly.

Bolt looked quizzically at him. "But…I already told you. Twice."

"And I still don't believe you," the arcanine responded.

"Well then, why would you believe it the third time?" Bolt asked.

"Just…gah! Shut up!" Blitz snapped, reddening, "I still don't think it happened quite that way…"

"Well it did," Keski said from his seat in the corner, "I was there and I still don't quite believe it."

A knock came at the door. "Come in!" several voices chorused. The door opened seemingly of its own accord and Emerald waltzed in, a businesslike expression on her face.

"Good morning, everyone, I hope you're all feeling well." Not waiting for a response, she beckoned both Bolt and Keski over. "Would both of you come here a minute? There's something we need to discuss."

Keski slid off the high stool he had taken and nodded. "Sure thing. Come on, Bolt."

Bolt bowed to the occupants of the room. "I'll be back later! Don't kill each other now!"

"If they try it, I'll be very ticked with them!" Medi called over her shoulder. She grinned and brandished her claws. "And I've been dying to try my hand at dissection. Who knows? I might be good at it!" She winked at Keski, who hurriedly stepped out of the room.

"So what's up?" he asked Emerald as she closed the door behind the three of them.

"Simple, you two are going out today," she answered, "Kachi has offered to watch you and Team Tails today. He gets a day off, you get to go out and see the town, and Ryke and Mina get out of my hair for a few hours! Everyone wins!" She cleared her throat. "Plus, Chief Pyre and Master Majyk are going to have a rather…lengthy discussion and they don't want non-guild members around."

"Ah," Keski said, "In that case, we will be glad to go out with Kachi."

Bolt grinned. "Now we can go to the beach and build those sandcastles!"

The lucario sighed. "Yes, Bolt, we can build sandcastles."

"And go swimming in the ocean!"

Keski gulped. "Um, no. You're an electric type."

Emerald chuckled. "Well, if you have anything to get ready, I suggest you do it now because he is going to be here shortly."

"Right!" Bolt said, darting off, "To lunch then!" Keski shrugged and followed.

Upon their arrival in the main hall, Keski was almost tackled to the ground by Ryke. The riolu leapt right at his chest, latching onto his shoulders and wrapping his legs around the lucario's ribs. "Hey! Did you hear?! Officer Kachi is taking us out and you're coming with us!

"Yes…" Keski said, trying to pry him off, "I just heard that from Emerald." Ryke grinned and clambered up to rest on his shoulders. Keski growled. "Off!"

"No! I like it up here!"

"Too bad! Get off!" Keski snapped. Across the room, Bolt grinned at him. "Wipe that grin off your face, Bolt! Or I'll come for you next!"

Mina nudged Keski's leg. "Grab his tail. It will help get him off," she whispered.

"Mina!" Ryke shouted in alarm. She smirked and shrugged. "Traitor…"

"Grab his tail, huh?" Keski suddenly reached for it, hiding a grin.

"Ah! No!" Ryke curled his tail up tight, trying to avoid Keski's grip, but the lucario snagged it. He pulled Ryke off his shoulders and over his head, then let the riolu dangle upside down in the air. The riolu crossed his arms and glared. "No fair."

Keski raised an eyebrow. "What's not fair? And doesn't this hurt?"

"Mina helped you!" Ryke said, "And yes, it does hurt, but not enough to make me complain about it!" He twisted a bit in mid-air, trying to get loose. "So…you just going to hold me upside down like this?"

"Yes," Keski said impassively, swinging the riolu by the tail over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and taking a seat at the service bar. Skipper looked up and chuckled. "Can I get a scone?" Keski asked politely.

"Aye, that ye can," the floatzel said, opening a cupboard and handing him one, "Here ye are."

"Hey! I want a scone!" Ryke protested from behind Keski's back.

"I want a scone too!" Bolt said, suddenly appearing in the seat next to Keski.

"Alright! Alright! Trim your sails a bit, mates…" Skipper muttered, fetching two more scones. Just then, Mina hopped up onto another stool. Skipper glared at her. "An' I suppose ye'll be wanting a scone as well, eh?"

"No," she said, "I'd like two please."

Skipper sighed. "Sure thing, lass."

"Hey! Why does she get two! I want two!" Ryke protested from behind Keski's back, "And…this is starting to hurt, so can I be put down now?" Keski promptly set him on the empty stool next to him. The riolu sat up straight and massaged the base of his tail, taking a sharp breath. "Yeah, that hurts now…Anyway, can I have another scone now?"

"Sure, why not? Eat all me scones…" Skipper said, making a grand gesture with his hand.

"Okay!" Ryke and Bolt chorused happily. Ryke's tail wagged happily, heedless of the fact that moments ago he had been holding it in pain.

"I was being sarcastic…" Skipper muttered.

"Aw…" the two moaned, ears drooping. Ryke brightened suddenly and jumped in Keski's lap.

"What the…? _No_!" Keski growled, grabbing the riolu and setting him back on his own chair. "Care to tell me when I became your favorite jungle gym?"

Ryke grinned at him. "You and Bolt beat that hariyama! I want to learn from you so I can become stronger! That means I must stay close to you at all times!"

"…" Keski stared at him. "No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"_No._"

"You might as well give up," Mina said, "He's talked about you all last night. He won't let this go so easily."

"Nope! I won't!" Ryke agreed, grinning up at Keski eagerly, "Come on! Just show me how you do things! That's all I'm asking!"

"And _you_ might as well give up," Bolt said, "I try this sort of thing all the time. It only works about half the time, and I know how to do it better!"

"Yeah, but do you do _this_?" Ryke put his face right in the lucario's and, with wide, tearful eyes, said, "Pleeeeeeeeease?"

"That's a dirty trick…" Keski growled, "Alright! I'll show you a few techniques! Happy?"

"Yes," Ryke said with a happy smile.

"Will you get off me now?" Keski pled, "And _stay _off?"

"Sure." Ryke carefully stepped back onto his stool and began balancing on one footpaw for no apparent reason. Keski stared at him and sighed.

"_Now_ what are you doing?" he asked.

"Practicing my balance, of course!" Ryke answered.

"Right…" Keski muttered, "Of course. How could I have thought otherwise?"

The front door opened. "Hello, Starchasers!" Kachi's voice called. The pikachu entered grinning, his little sister beside him. "So I hear I'm playing babysitter today."

Meadow looked Bolt and Keski over unsurely. "Big brother, I think they're a bit old for babysitting…"

Kachi laughed and patted her head. "True, very true. But, I got the day off for it, so let's not bother with the details, okay?"

"Okay," she agreed.

Skipper pulled a large picnic basket from behind the counter, instantly drawing Bolt and Ryke's attention. "Here, why don't ye take this, Keski. Ye seem more responsible."

Keski accepted the basket with a nod and peeked inside. Bolt and Ryke tried to peer over his shoulders, but he slapped the lid closed before they could so anything. "No you don't!" he growled, turning away from them and toward Kachi. "So, where are we going?"

"Up to you," the pikachu replied, "Meadow wants to go to the beach, so…"

"Yes! Yes! By all means yes!" Bolt bounced up and down with excitement, drawing stares from everyone present.

"Oookay…" Mina said, "I guess the beach it is!"

Meadow grinned. "Yay! This will be fun!"

"You bet!" Ryke said with a confident grin.

"And you know what we can do?" Bolt asked with a secretive smirk. The pichu and riolu exchanged glances.

"What?" they asked.

"We can build a _sandcastle_!" Bolt declared. Keski smiled and rolled his eyes.

"Cool," Ryke said.

"Yay!" Meadow cheered. The three of them formed a ring and pranced around in a circle. "We're going to build a sandcastle! We're going to build a sandcastle!" they chorused.

"Oh, what the heck…" Mina muttered. She scampered over and joined the ring, much to Skipper's amusement.

"Well, to the beach then!" Kachi declared, posing dramatically with his paw pointed toward the door, "Forward march!"

Keski shouldered the basket and followed them out the door. As they emerged from the building and made their way down the street, the Pokémon who were outside stopped and stared, whispering to each other. Keski perked his ears up, trying to catch what they were saying.

"Is that them?"

"Yep. Black-furred lucario and a jolteon with a crystal necklace."

"Do you really thing they beat that thing by themselves?"

"There's no way, is there?"

"Are you sure they're the ones?"

"They don't seem strong enough?"

"Mommy, what type of Pokémon is that?"

"A lucario, but I thought they had blue fur…"

"Can't be them."

"Now you know that story can't be true. Just a tall tale that is. Probably started by them to make themselves seem tougher."

"Sure, I'll bet they helped, but I doubt the beat that thing by themselves. Did you see the size of it?"

Keski sighed and stopped trying to listen. "Well, at least the important people know what we did…"

"So where is the beach?" Bolt asked.

"Down by the docks," Kachi answered, "We will have to go on the opposite side of the docks rather than the side we usually go to, since that is where the hariyama is currently buried. Come on. The path down to the docks will be crowded soon, so we best hurry." He stopped suddenly and smacked his forehead. "I forgot something in the storage warehouse. We'll have to make a quick stop there. It's right this way. Come on."

He led them down a side street to the warehouse. It was a low, squat building, because most of the storage space was dug into the stone that made up the foundation. Kachi immediately entered and they followed him. Only Ryke hesitated, pausing at the door. Bolt looked back at him quizzically.

"What's wrong, Ryke?" he asked.

"Well…the owner might not be so thrilled to see me…" Ryke said sheepishly, "Last time I was here, I pulled a prank on him and he told me not to come back…"

"Just wait out here then," Kachi told him, "We won't be long and you can just call out if you need us."

"Yes, Officer Kachi." Ryke sat down on the steps, idly humming as the others went in. He didn't bother paying attention to his surroundings. Why would he? No one in town would try to harm him. As a result, he didn't notice an emolga approaching him until she was almost directly in front of him.

"Hello there," she said in a friendly manner, "Are you a member of the Starchaser Guild?"

"Yep!" Ryke answered proudly, "You must not be from around here."

She looked surprised. "How did you know that?"

Ryke grinned proudly. "Around here, everyone knows I'm part of Team Tails, the Starchaser Guild's up and coming best adventurers!"

"Is that so?" the emolga asked, amused, "How interesting." She sat next to him. "So…what's your name?"

Ryke hesitated, not even sure why he did. Something just didn't seem right to him. A vague sense in the impression he got from her that she was not to be trusted. However, then she smiled at him and placed a paw on his shoulder. Hearts seemed to swim before his vision and he relaxed. Suddenly, she seemed the most beautiful thing in the world. He was horrified with himself that he hadn't immediately trusted her. "You can tell me," she said, "You can tell me everything…"

"What…what do you want to know?" he asked, eyes wide as he realized she was paying such close attention to him. Anything he could do to keep her happy and focused on him he would willingly undertake.

She smiled. "Tell me about your visitors, the lucario and the jolteon."

* * *

Kachi emerged from the storage facility, leading the way and holding a wrapped package under his arm. "We're ready to go Ryke," he said. The riolu didn't move, staring off down the street wistfully. "Ryke?"

The riolu blinked, snapping out of it. "Oh! Hi guys! There was an emolga just here, but she left when she heard you all coming out…Whoops! Wasn't supposed to say that…" They looked at him strangely. "What?"

"You must be mistaken," Kachi said slowly, "the only emolga in this town is visiting from the capitol."

Ryke blinked. "Oh. It's…it's probably not important anyway." He rose and gestured impatiently. "Come on! Beach time!"

* * *

Roxy huffed in annoyance, watching the mysterious jolteon and lucario head down the path to the beach and docks. The riolu hadn't known anything useful other than that the two were being held by the Starchaser Guild until they could work out a small issue with the police. That, however, had given her the next place to look. The police would need to verify their identities, which she, as a representative of the central government, would be entitled to review if she so wished. However, for now, she wanted to watch them a bit more. And besides, they were going to the beach. A bit of relaxation would be nice after days of travel.

* * *

Bolt grinned as the ocean came in sight. Waves crashed along the rocky shore, which has less sand than he had hoped but still enough to provide the makings for a decent sandcastle. Without further ado, he dashed into the surf, whooping and hollering excitedly. Meadow, Ryke, and Mina ran after him, laughing. They leapt into the water and collectively gave short yips of surprise as they found themselves receiving tiny electric shocks.

"It tickles!" Meadow giggled.

"You're an electric type!" Mina countered, "It does a bit more than 'tickle' for me!"

"Ow! This is awesome!" Ryke declared, "It makes my skin feel numb!"

"It's my fault," Bolt said apologetically, "My electricity is stored in my fur, so it kind of leaks out in the water…"

"I'm getting out!" Mina declared.

"I'm staying in!" Ryke counter-declared, grinning.

"Why?" Mina demanded.

"I've dared myself to see how long I can take it!" Ryke explained, "It'll be awesome!"

"I've already got used to it," Meadow added. She took a deep breath and dived under the water. After a moment, Bolt dove after her and resurfaced with her on his head.

"Tag!" he said, "You're it!"

"Wait, wha-?" She was unceremoniously dumped back in the water and emerged, spluttering. Bolt was already a few feet away, furiously swimming. Meadow giggled and gave chase. "Whee! Gonna getcha, Mr. Bolt!"

On the shore, Keski went through the contents of the picnic basket: several casseroles and a pie plus a pitcher of berry juice. It would make a good dinner, he decided, though he resisted the temptation to go ahead and have some now. He did, however, remove the blanket and spread it out on the beach to sit on. Stretching out to his full length, he fell back onto the blanket and let the sun warm his fur. He closed his eyes contentedly. Kachi plopped down beside him, but stayed sitting up.

"So…" the officer began, "I take it you're not one for swimming."

Keski sighed. "Not here, no."

Kachi's ears perked up slightly, but he forced himself to appear uninterested. "But at home?"

Keski opened one eye and peered at him. "I'm a Steel-type. I sink fairly quickly."

"Ah." The pikachu nodded. "That makes sense…" He glanced down at the package under his arm and cleared his throat. "Um, I…well, I have something for you. You and Bolt, really. It's kind of to say thank you. For everything you did for this town."

Keski blinked in surprise. "Oh, so that package in the storage was something for us? Thanks, Kachi. What is it?" The pikachu smiled and held it out to him. He accepted it and tore it open. Inside was a coin purse filled to the brim with gold. Keski's eyes widened. "Is this…?"

"A fifty gold pieces. To help pay off your fine," Kachi said, rubbing the back of his head in a sort of embarrassed way, "My parents left and my sister and I a bit before they went off to war. They never came back, so I kinda grew up fast and started taking care of Meadow. This is some of it, but we both decided that this was the least we could do for you."

A grateful smile spread across Keski's face. "Wow. Thank you. This is…an incredible gift."

Kachi laughed. "It's only money. People are more important. That's part of the reason I'm a member of the police: to protect the members of this community." He indicated the blue sash he wore with pride. "You don't wear this unless you're willing to put yourself in harm's way. May not be as glorious as being a member of a guild, but…" He smiled somewhat distantly. "I'm content. And that's something that riches and glory could never bring me."

"Still," Keski said, "It's part of the last gift your parents gave you. That is a treasure of incalculable price."

The pikachu shrugged. "You and Bolt have had a bad string of luck. You got on Malik's bad side and got fined because of it, then you saved the town and got fined for it. You could have just sat back and let us fight the hariyama and no one would have blamed you, but you both stepped up and defeated him. You didn't deserve the fine for it…"

"Yeah…" Keski growled, "But this makes up for it." He shook his head. "I mean…I never would have expected this. Everyone's been kind and friendly, but this…this is a whole new level."

They both turned when they heard Ryke's voice. "Okay! Okay! I'm done!" he shouted, hopping from paw to paw, "It hurts now! I'm done. Ow." He waded gingerly out of the water and collapsed onto a sandy patch of the beach, sighing contentedly. He raised a paw victoriously. "Two minutes by my count!"

"Nope. That was three minutes," Mina said.

"Hey! That's even better!" Ryke rested his chin on his fore-paws and looked up at Keski. "Dare you to beat my time, Keski!"

"I decline," Keski replied, disinterested.

"Aw come on!"

"Nope."

Bolt bounded up onto the beach next to Ryke, fur dripping. He shook furiously, spraying water in every which direction. Ryke yelped in surprise and leapt to his feet, scrambling away. Bolt blinked, staring at him in confusion. "What got into you?"

"Electrified drops of water!" the riolu responded hotly.

"I thought you wanted to be electrified…" Bolt said, ears drooping.

"Not now! I wasn't prepared for it…" Ryke muttered.

"Hey Bolt," Keski said, "Come here a minute, okay?"

Dutifully, the jolteon trotted up, curious. "What's up?" he asked. Keski held up the purse of gold coins. Bolt's eyes widened. "Wha…?! Where did you get that?!"

"Kachi gave it to us," Keski answered, "As a gift."

Bolt's eyes shone with happiness and gratitude. "Wow…" he said, "Thanks, Kachi!"

The pikachu laughed. "You're welcome! Thank Meadow too, though. She agreed to it."

"Yep!" his sister said, smiling and nodding her head, "Now let's build a sandcastle!"

Instantly, she, Ryke, and Mina scurried off to a particularly sand spot. Bolt, however, lingered just long enough to nuzzle Kachi gratefully before he too scampered off.

"So…I guess the real question is when Cascade can confirm our identities," Keski mused.

"Yeah, I suppose so…" Kachi agreed, "It shouldn't be too long. The information on your home is expected to come next time the mail is delivered." He paused and cleared his throat. "You know," he said, "You're welcome to stay with us."

Keski's head snapped around, his eyes sharp. "What do you mean?"

"Well…" The pikachu rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I, at least, would like to see you stay. You saved the town, after all. You're, well, heroes and all that. I realize you're not perfect, but nobody is so I won't hold that against you! But after you're released from the guild's, admittedly lax, custody, I thought you would need a place to stay until you get the final bit of the second fine paid off. Meadow and I don't have a huge place, but it's comfortable and warm. It would be a tight fit with you two in it, but we could make do. You could stay with us even after you paid off your fine, if you wanted."

Keski cracked a smile. "Thanks, but we need to find Bolt's sister. She left with no warning and we were all very worried. I don't think you could make Bolt stay until we've found her and convinced her to come back."

"But…after that…" Kachi said, holding out to the last, "Would you come back?"

The words echoed through his brain, setting off a torrent of voices like small stones set off a landslide. _Hey! Kid, come back here! Come back here, that's an order! Come back and fight! Come back, my son. Come back to me. Come back, traitor! Traitor! Traitor! TRAITOR!_ Keski stiffened, gripped the sand between his forepaws with something akin to anger. Kachi was, understandably, confused. "I'm sorry, did I say something?"

Keski blinked, coming back to the present, and shook his head. "No, just…memories. It's not important."

Meanwhile, the four younger Pokémon had decided to each build their own sandcastle and see who could make the best. Ryke grinned inwardly, figuring he'd have the advantage thanks to his hand-like paws. However, he was quickly disillusioned. Bolt expertly piled sand together, being very picky about the consistency and dampness of what type he chose to go where. The stuff with a few shells mixed in got put in the center, lending support to a quite tall tower he was erecting by in essence shoving it in place with his legs and sides, sometimes even his head.

"Well," Mina said, standing beside her own pile of sand, watching Bolt use his nose and the tips of his claws to sculpt the surface into a stone-like pattern, "I think we know who is winning this contest…"

"Yeah," Ryke agreed, grimacing, "Well! Congratulations, Bolt. You win…fifteen minutes of fame."

Bolt looked up from his work and blinked. "Oh, I just have a lot of practice with this. My sister and I loved to make these on the beach when my dad took us down there." He smiled, happy memories coming to him. "It's a bit of a trek from the base of the mountain to the beach, so we rode on his back and played hide-and-seek in his mane. It would be hard for me to fit now that I'm not an eevee, but my sister still is so…she could, if we could find her." He sighed heavily. "Wish she knew why she left…"

Meadow sat down next to him and patted his leg. "What's she like?"

Bolt smiled. "Well for one thing, she can be very sarcastic. Sometimes she's mean to me too, but I deserve it. She used to say I'd forget my own tail if it wasn't attached to my spine, but then I evolved into a jolteon so I'd be the same type as Dad and suddenly she had to find a different snarky comment to use."

"Aw…but tails are awesome…" Ryke said, disappointed.

Meadow cocked her head to the side. "She doesn't sound very nice or fun…"

Bolt laughed. "Not always, but she's my sister and I love her! I'll always love her and Dad because they are my family."

Mina wasn't paying attention, which Bolt found a bit rude but not enough to be worth commenting on. However, when she stiffened and stared at something, he took notice. "What is it?" he asked.

"Something's down by the water," she said, "Something red and white…"

Bolt scanned the waves. It was not hard to pick out the form Mina had seen. Whoever it was floated limply in the surf, tossed by each wave. "Stay here," he said, not taking his eyes off it, "I'll check it out." Before they could protest, he took off, spraying sand behind him.

The strange Pokémon did not move as he approached. A thin, triangular head barely rested above the water, allowing it to breath, while a much plumper body rested below the surface, attached by a long, slender neck. Fine white and red feathers, water-logged from the ocean, ran up and down its body. What color its eyes were, Bolt could not tell because they were tightly closed, giving its face a pained expression. However, what most drew and deserved his attention was a long gash down the other Pokémon's side. He hesitated for a moment, then turned and ran up the beach past the small group of sandcastles.

"Kachi! Keski!" Suddenly, Bolt came to a skidding halt in front of them, eyes wide with concern and talking at a million miles an hour. "There's a Pokémon on the beach! I think she's hurt! Come quick!"

Kachi was instantly on his feet, dashing in the direction that Bolt had come from. Keski took a moment longer, debating whether to follow or interrogate Bolt for further details. In the end, concern for the Pokémon won out and he ran after Kachi, Bolt hot on his heels.

"Ryke! Mina! Meadow!" Kachi called, taking charge of the situation, "Come over here! Let's get her out of the water!"

Together, they crowded around the unknown Pokémon and half-lifted half-dragged her out of the water. Even Keski forgot his reservations and plunged in, taking the majority of her weight upon himself. Even so, he made sure the water did not go up past his knees. They brought her, wings, paws, and all, onto the beach and out of the surf. Meadow gasped in horror when she saw the wound down the Pokémon's side.

"Big brother Kachi! Big brother KachI! Look! She's hurt!" she said, tugging on his arm.

"I see that, Meadow," Kachi said sadly.

She looked up at him with wide, watering eyes. "Can we help her?"

Her brother gave her a determined smile and clenched a fore-paw. "Course we can! Why don't you and Mina run and get help from the town?"

Meadow nodded reluctantly and patted the unconscious Pokémon's side. "Please be okay…whoever you are." With that, she dashed off toward the town on all fours with Mina. Kachi turned to the remaining three.

"Right!" he said, "Do any of you know any healing skills?" Keski, Bolt, and Ryke exchanged glances. "Didn't think so…" the pikachu sighed, "Ryke! Keep a watch on that wound. If it reopens, put pressure on it."

"But…what if it bleeds on me?" Ryke asked.

Kachi glared at him. "Then suck it up! This is someone's life we're talking about here! Bolt!" The jolteon jerked upright. "If she shows any signs of waking, let me know!"

Bolt saluted. "Aye, captain!"

"Keski…" Kachi said, turning, "you and I will try to keep her stable, if we can. First, we need to get the water out of her lungs." The lucario nodded. Kachi climbed on top of her stomach and jumped lightly while Keski pressed down. A small stream of water flowed out of her mouth and she coughed, but instantly she began drawing ragged breaths.

"Her side is bleeding now!" Ryke warned. Kachi muttered a curse under his breath and scrambled over.

"Keep pressure on it!" he ordered, "Bolt! Run and get the picnic blanket! We'll use that as a temporary bandage." Bolt nodded and ran at top speed. Kachi looked over at Keski. "So…don't know exactly how this works, but can you sense anything from her?"

"Yes," Keski replied, "She is very weak right now, but her aura is impressive. Not…powerful, but impressive nonetheless."

"Is she in danger of dying? That's all I need to know," Kachi demanded.

Keski frowned and shook his head. "No, no immediate danger of that. Life is still strong in her. As long as she doesn't bleed out or drown, she'll be fine for the present. But she does need treatment."

Kachi sighed. "Probably should have checked that first. Well, the Starchaser's infirmary is already packed, but Astro should be able to leave now. We can trade out him for her, I suppose." His ears drooped. "So many injuries…"

Bolt arrived back with the blanket, which Kachi immediately ordered be torn into strips of cloth immediately. They wrapped these around their patient's body, stemming the flow of blood. Her breathing evened out some and, having done all they could do, the four of them stepped back, heaving sighs of relief.

Suddenly, she coughed and another trickle of seawater dribbled out of her mouth. "W-water…" she croaked, "Please…"

"Ah! Yes ma'am!" Kachi said awkwardly, "Keski! Ryke! Get the picnic basket and bring it back here! Quickly!" The two silently nodded and raced away.

Bolt approached her head and sat down, a wide, friendly smile on his face. "Hello there! My name is Bolt. Don't worry! We rescued you and you're safe now."

"E-eon…" she forced out of her dry throat, beginning to stir frantically, "Where is…?"

Bolt hushed her. "Just rest for now. After you drink something, you can talk a little, okay?"

She swallowed whatever liquid was in her throat, calming down slightly. "O-okay…"

Shortly, Keski and Ryke returned. The lucario removed a flask of soft cider and uncorked it, letting it fall like a miniature waterfall into her open mouth. She swallowed it greedily, letting it wash over her dry, wide maw and down her parched throat. Immediately afterwards, she tried to rise, but Bolt and Keski pushed her back down.

"Whoa there!" Bolt said, as she began to panic and move about, "Careful! Don't move about too much or you'll open your wound again."

"Where is Eon?" she demanded, "Where is my brother? Is he here?"

Bolt shook his head. "No. You're the only one we found. You washed up on the beach here." With this, her eyes went wide with horror and she redoubled her efforts to escape their grip. "Hey! Hey! Calm down!" Bolt said in dismay, "What's your name?"

She blinked slowly and looked up at him. "Eona…" she said, somewhat shyly, "I'm Eona…"

"That's beautiful!" Bolt said, being friendly, "Where are you from? I've never seen anyone like you before."

"South…far south and west. Over the sea," Eona answered, "Eon and I carry important messages for our lords…" She looked desperately at Bolt. "Do you know where he is? He looks like me, but with blue feathers instead of red ones. He…he has to be around here somewhere!"

"Ryke," Kachi whispered, "Check along the shoreline, would you?"

"Yes sir," the riolu replied, setting off.

In the meantime, Bolt did his best to keep Eona calm. "Tell me about yourself," he said cheerfully, "What sort of Pokémon are you?"

"I'm…I'm a latias. The only one of my kind," she said, "You could call me Latias even, if you wanted, but my name is Eona."

Bolt nodded. "In that case, I've heard stories of you and your brother! Well, some call him your mate, they aren't really clear on that point." Eona looked mortified. "Brother then!" Bolt declared, "So…what were you doing all the way out here?"

"That's…confidential," she answered nervously, "And I won't tell you! Not even if you torture me!"

"Who said anything about torture?" Bolt asked, confused, "I'm not going to torture you! Unless you consider my singing torture. Keski says it is sometimes, when I get a song stuck in my head and sing it over and over again."

Eona relaxed, relieved. "Eon says the same thing…"

"How rude, right?" Bolt said, nodding his head sympathetically.

"Right," she agreed, chuckling.

"Fortunately for him, I know lots of songs!" Bolt said proudly, "Would you like to hear one?"

She hesitated. "No, no thank you," she said, clearing her throat calmly and very much unlike the panicked wreck that she had been a short while ago, "I just want to know where Eon is."

Bolt's ears drooped in disappointment. "Well, we haven't found him yet, but we'll keep looking. And soon we're going to carry you into town and get you some proper medical care." He looked her over, scanning her bandage and a few smaller injuries critically. "If it's not too much bother, how did you get so beat up?"

Before she could answer, the sound of many Pokémon approaching interrupted any further conversation. Meadow led the way, followed by Team Tremor, Emerald, and Medi, who lagged behind and was breathing heavily. "Over here! This way! Hurry! She's hurt bad!" the pichu called. Within seconds they surrounded Eona. However, since no one but Medi was skilled enough to improve her condition anymore than it had been, they began asking at least a dozen questions each in the space of twenty seconds. She looked around with wide, frightened eyes, stammering out half-articulate responses to one or two, but unable to do more.

"Everyone stand back!" Medi ordered, pushing her way through. The weavile panted and dropped to her knees beside her new patient. "Here," she said, holding out a cup filled with medicine, "Oran Berry concentrate. It will take the edge off and help prevent infection." Eona accepted it and Medi sat back, wiping sweat from her brow. "Cotton seriously needs to get back to work…" she muttered under her breath, "Running in this heat is a killer…"

"It's not hot though," Sunsoarer said, stretching his arms and wings out in a relaxed manner, "It's actually quite pleasant."

"Perfect for a nap!" Stuffy agreed.

Medi glared daggers at him. "Why don't you do something helpful and help me get…what's your name dear?"

"Eona…"

"Why don't you help me get _Eona_ back to the guild?" Medi snapped. The flygon raised his arms in a placating gesture.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea!" Kachi agreed, "A hot bath and nice bed will do wonders for you, Eona."

The latias blinked at him. "And you are?"

The pikachu saluted with a friendly grin. "Sergeant Kachi of the Seaside Crest Police Force, ma'am. I'll organize a search party for your brother, don't you worry."

She smiled as Sunsoarer, Stuffy, and Naila lifted her into the air, with Emerald's telekinetic assistance. "Thank you, Officer Kachi."

He smiled and turned to Bolt and Keski. "Sorry about this, but it looks like I'll be cutting your beach-day short."

"It's fine," Keski said, waving his concern away, "After all, as you said, people are more important."

Kachi nodded. "Come on, Meadow," he said, smiling at her, "Let's go find Ryke before he gets himself lost."

Meadow giggled, though it was somewhat lesser than normal due to her concern. "Yeah, cause Ryke is a dummy!"

"Something like that…" Kachi said, rolling his eyes. The pair set off down the beach in the direction the riolu had gone while Keski and Bolt followed the Starchasers up the path into town. To their amazement, Eona turned invisible as they drew close, almost causing Team Tremor to drop her.

"Sorry!" she called, "I just…don't want to be seen by everyone. I'd rather the entire town didn't know I was here."

"Well we look like idiots then," Sunsoarer complained, "Holding our hands in the air when there is nothing to be seen!"

"Sorry…" Eona muttered, "But that's just the way it's going to be."

Emerald sighed. "Half a moment…" She closed her eyes and a faint glow surrounded her as she initiated a telepathic conversation with Guildmaster Majyk. "_Guildmaster._"

After a moment, he replied. "_Yes? What is it? I'm in the middle of meeting with Chief Pyre. He is understandably concerned about the safety of the town._"

"_We have a slight problem._"

"_Well? What is it now?_"

"_It is not dangerous, but it would be easier to explain in person. Could you teleport me and everyone in my vicinity into the main room of the guild?_"

"_Give me a moment._"

Emerald turned to those around her. "Close your eyes."

Bolt gave her a funny look. "Why would I-?"

A few seconds later, a flash of light enveloped them all, leaving only Medi behind. She gave a disgruntled growl, glared at the sun, wiped her brow, and set off the for Hall on foot.

"Stupid teleport not affecting Dark-types…" she muttered, "Ugh, I'm sweating like a grumpig. And people wonder why I like to stay underground most of the time…how Team Snowpaw bears it is beyond me…"

Meanwhile, Bolt was blinking rapidly, trying to regain his vision. "I should have listened to you, Emerald…" he muttered, "That was really bright!"

"I warned you," the gardevoir answered with teasing smugness. Eona turned visible again and groaned, drawing everyone's attention. They set her down by the fireplace carefully, being wary of the injury on her side, gave her a blanket and some spiced wine, and then stood hovered around aimlessly unless she should need anything else before Medi or Majyk came to question or tend to her more expertly.

Eona settled comfortably into the blankets. Keski and Bolt settled beside her, enjoying the fire. "How are you feeling?" Keski asked.

"How do you expect I'm feeling?" Eona said ruefully, "My entire body hurts. Sure, the drink helped, but I don't dare move too much so I don't start bleeding. And to top it off, my brother is missing…"

"We don't know that…" Bolt said.

"If he were here, then weak as I am I would sense him," Eona said with conviction, "But…I've been trying ever since I woke up and…nothing." She sighed forlornly.

Keski leaned forward. "If I may ask, what exactly happened to you?"

Eona closed her eyes and swallowed. "We were…attacked. By Lord Rayquaza."


	7. Chapter 7: Of Plans and Plots

**Sorry about the delay. Been travelling all over the country. Now, enjoy the latest chapter.**

Chapter 7:

Of Plans and Plots

_"__If we do not hang together, we will surely hang separately." –Benjamin Franklin_

**Twenty-Eight Hours Ago...**

"Eon! Eon! Wait!"

The latios laughed, a noise only audible to those possessing a mental link with him because of the howling wind he left in his wake. "No way!" he said back through telepathy, "You're out of shape! You need the exercise!"

A wave of indignation washed over him from his red-feathered sister. "Oh, you're getting it now!" she growled, putting on a burst of speed. Eon laughed and suddenly pulled up into a steep climb, heading higher and higher into the air. Eona struggled to keep up with him, straining her powers to the limits to climb higher, move faster, and catch her gleefully elusive brother.

"Eon!" she called as the air began to thin and her breaths became ragged, "Eon, stop! We're going to high!"

"Told you that you needed exercise!" her brother laughed, slowing to allow her to catch up.

"Eon, this is Rayquaza's territory!" she retorted.

He grinned. "And why would that stop you?" he said coyly, "You know he has a soft spot for you. And you do to, if I'm not mistaken…"

"Eon!" Eona squawked, fire racing to her cheeks, "It's not like that…"

"Liar~" Eon sang tauntingly.

"Well, I mean…" Eona muttered, "I couldn't be interested in any normal Pokémon, since we live pretty much forever…"

"Of course, of course…" he said as a grin spread across his face, "Then you wouldn't mind seeing him right now?"

"Um…" Eona ruffled her feathers nervously. "I'd rather not…we have to get home and all…"

"Well too late!" Eon declared, "Because here he comes! I can sense him from here." Eona squeaked and hid behind him, much to his amusement. "Come on! Let's go meet him!" He shot off at full speed, leaving her behind. His elation quickly turned to confusion, however. A dark storm with strange flashes of violet lightning surrounded him, outlining his serpentine shape.

"Brother…?" Eona asked questioningly as the faint echo of a roar came from inside the storm. Another flash of lightning lit up the clouds. Rayquaza was headed right for them.

"I think we should…" Eon's eyes widened as an orange blast of pure energy headed straight for him. He dove, followed by Eona, and dodged the attack. "Let's get out of here!"

"Why is he attacking?!" Eona said in a panic as another burst of brilliant orange shot over their heads.

"I don't know!" Eon snapped defensively, "Just follow me! Make for the ground!" Without warning, he was struck directly in between his wings by a potent energy blast. He went careening off-course through the sky, unable to control his flight as he tumbled toward the ground at high speeds.

"Eon!" Eona cried in alarm, straining to reach and catch him. Suddenly, the sun went dark and lightning flashed overhead. Rain began to fall around her, an odd, burning rain that left her skin feeling raw wherever it touched. A roar echoed around her, audible even over the wind whistling in her ears, and she sensed an enormous presence quickly gaining on her. Panicked, she strained her body and mind to their limits, but an enormous claw came down and slashed her across the stomach and chest. She gave a cry of pain and tried to pull away, but an equally tremendous tail slammed into her side and tossed her away. She spun out of control, free-falling through the air, until a giant, scaly coil wrapped around her body.

Yellow, malevolent eyes stared down at her as the storm raged in the surrounding air. Black scales gave him a menacing appearance, unlike the regal green she knew him for. She gulped, straining to breath against the iron grip of his coils. "Rayquaza…" she said, "Why are you doing this?"

Instead of replying, he snarled and roared in her face, the force of it ruffling her feathers. Now truly bewildered and terrified, Eona instinctively tapped into her own power. It manifested in an explosion of psychic energy that loosened the Sky Emperor's grip just enough for her to slip out. She whirled around to face him, gathering power between her claws. Portions of the cloud and rain formed into a small sphere between them, growing to a foot in diameter in under a second. She flung it straight at Rayquaza's face. The ensuing explosion hid his face, though the enraged roar told her all she needed to know. It was time to get out fast.

She rolled and dove once again, scanning the area for Eon. A blast of molten-orange energy shot by her head, scorching the feathers on her back and forcing her to take evasive action. She caught sight of her brother, falling through the air, wounded and unconscious, and turned toward him. The sound of whistling wind filled her ears, coming from behind. She increased her speed.

With the force of a freight train, Rayquaza shot by her, blowing her away with a tornado-like stream of air that his massive body generated as it forced the air to part around it. He was headed straight for Eon. Disoriented, she was unable to prepare for the clubbed end of Rayquaza's tail slamming into her head and knocking her unconscious.

* * *

The mood in the Starchaser Guild was solemn that night. Eona had been put to bed with a strong sleeping draught that Cotton had brewed up from his own sleep powder and Sitrus juice, but even the excitement over the jumpluff's return to active duty was overshadowed by the grave news Eona had shared. Master Majyk had called an emergency meeting of the entire guild in order to discuss the issue. Not even the wounded were spared.

There was scarcely any room in the main hall for everyone to sit. Majyk and Emerald stood near the fireplace at the head of the tables, Slicer and Mendigo next to them. Team Firestrike was on the left of the hall while Team Snowpaw sat on the right. Team Tremor took up the middle with Team Tails, Skipper, Medi, and Cotton filling in the gaps. Even Bolt and Keski had been summoned, though they sat at the back.

Majyk surveyed them all, meeting each of their eyes one by one. His shoulders slumped like a heavy weight was upon them and his eyes were ringed with red. Silence reigned as his subordinates, his _children_, looked to him expectantly. "I'm afraid I have very grave news to share," he said, launching right into it, "Our guest has informed me that Lord Rayquaza has…" He choked. "…changed."

Glances were exchanged in confusion and a low hubbub rose.

"She described him," Majyk continued, "as violent, unreasonable, _primal_. His scales have turned black, as has his mind. But, most tellingly, she described a dark, violet mist radiating out from him and into the sky above, turning the clouds dark and creating a burning rain. It is my theory that he has not only rampaging for no apparent reason, but become the same sort of monster as that cacturne and hariyama."

There was stunned silence. Slicer's eyes narrowed to slits. "So…" the kabutops said in a raspy voice, like two knives grating together, "Will he be attacking here do you think?"

Majyk let out a weary sigh. "I do not know…but we must prepare for the worst."

Once again there was silence, but this was not the expectant silence of before. This was a silence born out of fear. First came a whisper, then a sob, then a cry, then a shout, and then the room dissolved into tumult. Emerald stood up abruptly, eyes flashing.

"Everyone!" she snapped, "Quiet!" This did nothing to quell the rising tide of panic. Emerald's eyes glowed and she extended both arms. Suddenly, the entire guild, with the exception of Medi, was floating two inches off the ground. "I said," the gardevoir ground out through teeth clenched with anger and concentration, "QUIET!"

The room dutifully fell into stunned silence. With a sigh of relief, Emerald lowered her arms and everyone returned to the ground. "Now, I'll tell you what we are _not_ going to do," she said, "We are _not_ going to panic, we are _not _going to run away, and we are _not _going to start screaming." She fixed them all with a piercing glare. "Is that understood?"

"And just how are we supposed to fight Rayquaza?" Naila challenged, "Especially if he's even stronger than normal!"

"Well we can't outrun him," Mendigo muttered, "I can't at least…" Stuffy nodded in agreement, looking doubtfully down at his large stomach and thick legs.

"We could hide, we could," Cotton said. The jumpluff had an anxious expression on his face and was hopping from foot to foot. Each tiny jump propelled him much higher than expected and he hung there for a few seconds before descending.

"Hide from Rayquaza?" Bolt shook his head. "That's a bad idea. All the stories where people tried to do that ended with him demolishing everything until he found them."

"Do we even know he's looking for us?" Cia asked.

"Well, where else have these 'monster Pokémon' showed up?" Corona muttered.

"Nowhere that we know," Majyk replied, "But that does not necessarily mean they will come here. We must make preparations like it is certain he will though."

"And just what will those preparations be?" Slicer asked, eyes narrowing even more than usual.

Majyk smiled humorlessly. "We fortify the town. Prepare our defenses. And pray to Arceus that we survive."

This time, the room fell into a dark, oppressive silence. The Starchasers exchanged worried, fearful glances. Without even trying to read them, Keski could tell they were in no state to fight off a magikarp, much less the Emperor of the Skies. Secretly, he began making plans for getting out of town with Bolt if that should become necessary, hoping that neither Emerald or Majyk were reading his mind at the moment.

Bolt cleared his throat, taking a step forward. "This reminds me of a story," he said.

"Not now, Bolt…" Emerald sighed.

"You see, fifty or so years ago, there were three Pokémon, the Red Rescue Team," Bolt began, "They had a lot of adventures, but there is one that I think applies here. May I tell it?"

Master Majyk gestured for him to continue.

"Alrighty then!" Bolt said brightly, "They saved the world, you know, but that is not the story I was thinking of. It's been told that one day the third member, an absol whose name has been lost, was wandering alone in the woods near their home when he came across a family of rattatta fleeing away from the south.

"_Good morning_, he said, _where are you from and where are you going? I would think you were running away from an earthquake or some other disaster, if my horn did not tell me otherwise._ He was a very intelligent and thoughtful Pokémon, though a bit cold to those he did not like.

"_We are fleeing from the great monster, Apollyon_, they said, _for he is great and terrible_.

"Absol frowned. He had never heard of Apollyon, who later became known as Apollyon the Destroyer, but he knew this couldn't be good and decided to investigate."

Blitz growled. "Get to the point, Bolt!"

Bolt looked askance at him, not pleased with the interruption. "If you will give me a minute I will get to the point," he said, "Rude…" He cleared his throat. "Continuing right along, Absol set out to see if he could find Apollyon. Shortly, he came across a pack of mightyena and their pups, running like Yveltal himself was chasing them. When questioned, they gave the same answer. _We are running from Apollyon, who has already slaughtered hundreds today!_ The same thing happened with the hitmonchan and even the salamance. _We are running from Apollyon the Destroyer, who has said he will kill any who come across him._

"Now my point, as you wanted to know Blitz, is that at this point Absol could have turned around and fled back with the others, but he continued on. In the end, he defeated Apollyon and saved the land from him. But it was when they asked him why he did not run that he proved his nobility. _If I did not try, who would? Evil will always grow, it is easy to be evil. To be good is harder and that is what I strive for._

"So then, all I want to say is that we, yes _we_, are the only defense of this town. If we do not stand up, who will? It is not realistic to think that we can fight Rayquaza from the sheer force of our wills. He is very powerful. But if we remember that we are not fighting him only for ourselves, but to protect the innocent, I suppose we can draw strength from that. We are this town's only hope. If we do not try, then we will all be destroyed."

"There are the police," Ryke reminded him.

"Yes, I know," Bolt replied, "But they don't stand a chance without us. Rayquaza is possibly too powerful for all of us combined. He will certainly win if only a few of us go to face him."

The room was silent for a while. "It seems you are right," Majyk said, "This town is our home and has been the home of the Starchasers ever since we were founded. It has supported us in our time of need, it would be unthinkable for us not to do the same. Are there any objections?"

"Well that first bit didn't make sense," Blitz growled, "But you're right about one thing, Bolt. We're all in the frying pan together. If we don't all work together, we'll all die. My team and I are in."

Similar opinions were voiced from all over the room. "Very well," Majyk said, "Then the next question is how to best defend the city from Rayquaza?"

"Well…he can fly, so the wall won't be any good," Sunsoarer said, "The only thing it will do, actually, is prevent us from leaving easily."

"So what, we dismantle them?" Medi said, incredulous.

"Well, I didn't mean it quite like that…" Sunsoarer muttered defensively, "All I meant to say is that they won't do us any good. We'd have to build a dome over the whole town, and that wouldn't last more than a few seconds."

"But what if we could build one strong enough?" Ryke asked.

"It's not possible to build a dome that strong in the short amount of time we have," Naila said crossly, "I should know! My parents were masons."

"How do defenders normally deal with aerial attacks?" Rafasa said, "I believe if we look into that question, we will have the beginnings of an answer."

"Normally," Keski said, "With rock or electric types. Electric types are preferable as long as you can keep a good storm going, but without a dedicated team of rain-dancers rock types are generally better because you can never run out of stones to throw at the sky. The rain dance-thunder combo is the best defense, and the rain generally makes the besiegers miserable since they have much less shelter than the defenders would have. However, I have not seen an abundance of rock-types and only a few electric types here."

"What about ice-types?" Cia suggested.

"They are generally considered a bit too fragile for reliable siege warfare due to their delicate constitutions," Keski replied. "No offense," he added as an afterthought when vaguely offended expressions crossed Team Snowpaw's faces.

"This isn't a siege though," Emerald pointed out, "It's going to be a battle. So regardless of the general opinion, Team Snowpaw will be our primary defense."

"All efforts will be concentrated on defending them," Majyk stated, "I myself will undertake that task to the best of my ability. Emerald will join me along with anyone who knows Protect. All the rest of you will be tasked with distracting him. Keeping him off balance, as it were, and diverting his attention away from Team Snowpaw. However, do not draw so much attention that he will focus all his efforts on you alone. Is that clear?" There was a chorus of affirmations. "Very good. Then, I believe the next step is to inform the police of our plans and start fortifying the guild-hall. Of all the buildings in the town, it is the most reinforced and will stand up against a few attacks if we cannot block or redirect them. The police station will be our secondary base." He paused. "Now, we will send a message to Chief Pyre telling him of our plans. Arceus willing, we will survive this."

* * *

On the opposite side of town, the quilava police chief was wheeling a tray of food and drink into the police station's own sick-bay. It wasn't used very often, since the Starchasers normally had ample facilities to accommodate the town, but to his annoyance Lt. Cascade refused to admit that she was seriously hurt and it had taken him a great deal of effort to consent to be treated at the station where she could be close to her work. By her work, she generally meant making sure _he_ did his work, which was one of the reasons why he was annoyed with her.

He pushed the door open with the cart, rattling the metal plates and silverware a bit. Cascade was sitting upright in bed, completely observed a few old books a friend in another town had sent her. Occasionally, she would scribble something down, but mostly her eyes never left the page.

Pyre, however, was not so disciplined, and his eyes wandered. He was very professional, but, in his own words, he liked a pretty girl as much as the next male, he was just a bit more open about it. Not to say that his subordinate was particularly attractive, but she wasn't unattractive either. She was athletic with a lithe, strong body which he really didn't mind staring at while he waited for her to look up. Quite unlike the fluffy, silly girls down at the inn who he could get to hang upon his every word. He briefly allowed his mind to wander to quite unprofessional things before her voice called him abruptly back to the present.

"If you are quite finished with that, sir, there is something I've discovered that I think deserves your attention."

He straightened sharply and gave her a sheepish grin. "Brought you dinner."

She nodded in acknowledgment and set the texts aside. She made as if to rise, but winced and thought better of it. "Still burns…" she muttered under her breath.

Pyre smiled dazzlingly at her. "Then, my dear lieutenant, you will just have to sit and rest!"

She glared at him. "Please push the tray closer, sir."

"Oh, since you said please…" Pyre moved it right next to her bed so she could reach it easily. Absently, she began eating, eyes already wandering back to her books. Pyre cleared his throat. "You said you found something?"

"Yes," she replied, returning her attention to him, "One of my friends in the Capitol Library sent me a few copies of some ancient texts. The originals are, of course, not permitted to leave the library itself. Fortunately, she did not write the copy herself but had it printed instead."

"Printed?" Pyre said in astonishment, "So those machines actually work? Maybe we should get one. It would save us a lot of time making the paperwork."

"And you still wouldn't fill it out," Cascade muttered.

Pyre shrugged. "True. Anyway, continue."

"Well, the only real lead I had was 'the Island of the Rainbows', so that's what I requested," Cascade said, "What she sent back was a copy of _The Legend's Dwellings_ by a xatu scholar from the last century. He's a widely regarded authority, though he was a bit of a hermit and lived on the Hill of the Ancients. Anyway, that is neither here nor there. The section that drew my attention was the chapter on Ho-Oh's 'roosts', as he calls them, around the world."

Pyre nodded. "So you think that 'Rainbow' is a reference to her, then?"

"Correct," Cascade confirmed, "However, this is what is interesting, the only island mentioned in the entire book is one call Mt. Faraway, the traditional home of Ho-Oh and the largest of her roosts. This theory is supported by Bolt and Keski's mention of storms normally blocking the way to the island and Bolt's necklace. The legends recorded here say that the only way to safely navigate through the storms is by using a feather from Ho-Oh herself. In other words, Bolt's necklace is one of the most sought-after items in the world."

"Then we will have to keep its nature a secret," Pyre said, "Conclusions?"

"In my opinion, sir, Bolt is a native of the island while Keski is an immigrant. The island itself is divided into three parts, one for fire, water, and electricity respectively. Bolt would fit right in, but lucarios are natives of Northmarch."

"Not necessarily. There's Ryke, after all," Pyre countered.

"Who was found sleeping on an abandoned ship that had been attacked by pirates. Sir, it is quite likely that ship came from Northmarch. Besides, the book mentions many species of Pokémon, but does not mention lucarios," Cascade explained, "Therefore I conclude that Keski is probably a native of Northmarch and arrived on Mt. Faraway through some unknown means."

"Well, this is all very interesting," Pyre said abruptly, "So where does that leave us?"

"Sir, Ho-Oh is reputed to have a very high standard of purity, both for herself and her followers. I believe the fact that Bolt has one of her feathers is a sign of her favor and the fact that he wishes to return there one day. Additionally, there are their actions on behalf of the town." Cascade took a deep breath. "It is therefore my personal opinion that their identities are confirmed and, since there is no criminal record for which we would want to hold them, we should release them as soon as possible."

"As soon as they finish with the fine," Pyre agreed, "The mayor was very clear on that. He wants every bit of that gold paid and if it is a copper less, then he will post their names in every guild hall and have them dragged back here. With additional fines of course."

Cascade rolled her eyes ever-so-slightly. "Of course."

A knock came at the door, surprising them both. "Come in," Pyre ordered, a bit sharper than was strictly necessary. The door opened to reveal a shy-seeming Emolga, who pyre immediately took an interest in.

"Um, excuse me…" she began, "I'm Roxy, Lord Sable's assistant. He wanted to look over a few of your case files, especially the ones concerning a jolteon and lucario. If…if it's not too much trouble, I'd like to pick them up now."

Pyre smiled winningly at her. "Roxy, now that's a pretty name." The emolga blushed slightly. "Tell me, isn't Lord Sable that new Director of the Press or something like that?"

"Yes, actually," Roxy replied. A dreamy look entered her eyes. "He's absolutely marvelous! A real visionary."

"Right…" Pyre said, disliking him already because of that starry-eyed look she had.

Cascade cleared her throat. "May I ask what his interest in this case is?"

"Oh, nothing special," Roxy replied, though they both sensed evasiveness in her tone, "He's, well, _I'm_ doing most of the work, see. Anyway, we're compiling a report on the use of police funds in, er, _rustic_ towns. Efficiency, effectiveness, that sort of thing. It's all very broad and technical. Very hard to explain. May I have the reports now?"

The pair of police officers hesitated. "Well, not right away," Pyre replied, "See, we have to finish up and file them properly before we can distribute copies to anyone, you understand."

She blinked, taken aback by his unexpected refusal. Her demeanor changed slightly. A slightly sultry smile crossed her lips and she stepped forward, swaying her hips ever so slightly. "It's really important to the report, and we don't know how much longer we can stay," she said softly, "Lord Sable would really appreciate it."

Pyre took a step back. Not that he minded this change in attitude, but it was not what he expected. But still, he put a firm smile on his face. "Ma'am, I will personally deliver it as soon as it is ready. Is that acceptable?"

Roxy looked vaguely disappointed. "Oh…isn't there a way I could…"

"I'm afraid not," Pyre cut her off, "Regulations and all. However, if you are interested in a seeing the town later, I would be glad to show you around."

A flash of fear crossed her face as she thought of intentionally walking around this dingy town just for the purpose of sight-seeing. "Uh, that won't be necessary…"

"A drink, then?" Pyre offered, still hopeful.

"I think I'd better be going…" Roxy said apologetically, backing toward the door, "Just…drop the files off when you get the chance. We're staying with the governor, so…" Suddenly the door burst open behind her and Emerald strode in, sweeping past the emolga without taking notice of her.

"Pyre," she said, "Sorry to show up so abruptly, but I'm afraid I have bad news."

Pyre cleared his throat and nodded warningly toward Roxy. The three of them turned toward her. "I'm sorry, ma'am," Pyre began politely, "But if you would please leave for now. This is boring official business, I'm afraid." He smiled at her. "We can find something more interesting to talk about later, if you wish."

For once, she actually smiled sincerely back at him. "Thank you for your offer, sir, but I'm afraid you don't really want to get to know me." With that, she left the room, shutting the door behind her and leaving three very confused Pokémon in her wake.

"Strange girl," Pyre muttered before turning to Emerald with another one of his award-winning smiles, "Anyway, this must be my lucky night! Three beautiful women all in the space of five minutes. What can I do for you, Emerald?"

Emerald cleared her throat. "Well, we have some bad news…"

* * *

Roxy shifted uncomfortably before Lord Sable. She had just finished telling him all she had seen and heard while at the police station, including both before and after her conversation with Chief Pyre. The sableye hadn't moved since she had mentioned Mt. Faraway and was staring blankly into space, lost in his own private thoughts. In Roxy's experience, whenever that happened, bad things followed for someone. Suddenly, a wide grin stretched all the way around his face and he chuckled softly.

"So…" he said, talking to himself, "They are from that island. How…interesting." He poured himself a glass of expensive wine and sipped it, though his mind was moving too quickly to pay attention to the flavor. "Well, keep working on the lucario. It shouldn't be hard to dig up information about a black-furred one, since that is unheard of. The jolteon is most likely a native, which means his family is out of our reach…"

"He actually came here to find his sister, sir," Roxy corrected.

Sable grinned. "Oh did he now? Well then! That changes things. I believe that, as a representative of the Empire, since he has done the empire such a great service in defending this town from horrible monsters, I believe it is only fair we…repay him by finding his sister first."

"Find her…and why's that sir?" Roxy asked.

"Well," Sable began, "This jolteon was clever enough to defeat my ogre, which means he must be fairly intelligent behind that idiotic personality. But as of right now, I have no influence over him. I don't like that. While that remains the case he is potentially dangerous. His sister, however, will give me the control that I want."

Roxy frowned. "And why do we want to control him?"

Sable's smile turned into a snarl. "He's made himself part of the equation. Introduced an element of unpredictability. I hate that. I had everything perfectly planned out until he and that lucario showed up. If they survive the Main Event, then we need a way to insure they will never do the same thing again."

"And so we find his sister and then what? Kidnap her?" Roxy found herself vaguely uncomfortable with the thought.

"What? The Incentives Program? No, not at first at least. Hmm…" Sable mused for a bit. "Send out the word. 'Imperial News wants female eevee or an evolution thereof for high-paying position. No previous experience required. Foreigners welcome.' Hmm, I like that."

Roxy stared dubiously at him. "You mean to _employ_ her?! We don't even know if she is qualified!"

Sable shrugged. "It will draw her out of the woodwork, most likely. She can't have much money and the words 'high-paying' will doubtless catch her eye. If it doesn't work, we can try other things. If it does, make her a model or something. I just need her available and under my influence. She doesn't even need to know that she is being used to control her dear brother."

He paused. "Everyone in this town has to be managed. We can't have word getting out about the attacks. Even rumors are deadly at this stage. If the jolteon dies in the main event, then all this is a moot point. If he survives, then we shall have to keep very careful watch on him indeed. He's the sort of person who could easily stumble over the whole plan and ruin it." Suddenly, he grinned and rose. "An idea has just occurred to me. Come, I believe it is time to speak with the mayor about the matter."

Roxy fell in step behind him, feeling much better now. Lord Sable had a plan, as always. This newest difficulty would be easily overcome and the plan would proceed. And Roxy's place at his side was becoming more and more permanent.

She had always been attracted to power, not for its own sake but for the safety it provided. So when she had met Lord Sable, whose position as the newly appointed Director of the Media didn't seem all that important, she had been absolutely astonished when she realized exactly how much influence he had. Apparently, he had seen something in her too because he shortly had offered her a position as his secretary, which she had eagerly accepted. And she had not once regretted the decision. He knew how to wield power effectively as few people did. From his small office in the capitol, he could manage the entire empire if he wished. With a few, well worded articles in the news he could sway public opinion while secretly talking to the heads of state and convincing them of the opposite stance. Then, when tensions mounted, he would step forward as the voice of reason in the midst of it, proposing the middle ground which had been his aim all along.

If a certain lord or lady was being particularly bothersome, a carefully worded article in one of the higher-end papers that alluded to 'reliable sources' and 'inside evidence', which would never be produced of course, would conjure up the most fantastic stories about them that left them thoroughly discredited and shunned by society. But then, Sable would sidle up to them, whisper in their ear that he had found evidence that could clear them of the charges and was willing to help them win back their reputation if they would help him with a small project of his. Shortly, they would be restored to good standing and Sable would have secured himself a new pawn.

That was the sort of thing Roxy expected to see now. The mayor was a pompous fool, full of his own importance and yet deploring the town that he was in charge of. Of course, if he had been in charge of any other town, he wouldn't be able to hold the position. It was only because Seaside Crest was so backwater that his gross incompetence had been overlooked so far. In addition, the fat cat had been altogether too welcoming and subservient to Lord Sable and herself, eager to get into the good graces of two officials from the capitol.

Without bothering to announce their arrival, they waltzed right into his chambers. He leapt to his feet in surprise, a comical sight due to his great weight, and bowed. "Oh my, oh my!" he stammered, "Lord Sable, excellency! Why are you…er, to what do I owe this honor?"

Sable smiled at him, though it wasn't quite a friendly smile. It was more like the smile a predator gives to his prey. "My deepest apologies for disturbing your evening, but I'm afraid I require your assistance in some, ah, _small_ matter that has come up. It is not a serious thing, but I would be grateful for your assistance."

The governor's eyes widened. Here was the chance he wanted! To gain the favor of some high government official and move up in the world! To finally get out of this dingy town! But he didn't want to seem to eager, so he hid his excitement to some extent. "Oh? Is that so? Well, I suppose I might be able to. What is it that you wanted?"

Lord Sable's predatory grin spread a bit wider. "I presume that you are aware of the two travelers who are currently staying with the Starchasers, correct?"

Jasper nodded. "Oh quite! There is no escaping that fact. After all, the town will talk of nothing else right now."

"Hmm, yes," Sable agreed, "Well, I need to keep them from leaving town for a while. It may require a bit of…creative license with the law. Nothing truly illegal, you understand, just right in the grey area."

Mayor Jasper nodded sagely. "And what sort of…compensation might I expect for doing this?"

"Oh, a small sum would not be out of order, I should think," Sable replied, "Say, fifty gold pieces. Discreetly given of course."

Mayor Jasper scoffed. "Does it not occur to you that fifty is a slightly low sum for this type of action?" In truth, it was much lower than he expected, but he did not want to be too rude to Lord Sable.

"I do not think so," Sable replied dismissively.

Jasper began to be exasperated. "I would ask you to reconsider," he said, "After all, I believe there would be quite a stir if this conversation reached the Emperor's ears."

Sable's grin remained, but any semblance of warmth behind it disappeared. He muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'fool' under his breath. He took a step forward. "I would advise you, _mayor_, to retract that statement. I'm afraid you don't quite realize the game you are playing."

"You underestimate me! I know exactly how this game works," Jasper said proudly, "It is a game of favors. We feed each other's greed, as the commoners call it. And I do not feel ashamed to admit to you that my own is quite renowned in this town."

"Greed? I'm sorry, did you say greed?" Sable giggled menacingly. "Ha! Greed! Did you hear that, Roxy?! He says he is greedy!"

"I heard him, my lord," she said, staring at him in concern.

Sable lunged forward. Mayor Jasper retreated in alarm, but found himself pinned against his own window. The sableye was monstrously strong for his size, lifting him with little effort and pressing him against the glass of the second-story window with a crazed grin on his face. "You don't have true greed!" he hissed as the glass began to crack, "You don't have the gnawing hunger, the all-consuming need for more, more, more! All you have is a half-hearted interest in money because it makes comfortable and gives you a smug sense of superiority." The sableye chuckled, enjoying the sight of pure fear in the cat's eyes as the window slowly began to give way behind him. Then, with a careless toss, Sable threw the governor aside. "Do you understand me? Do you have an inkling of who it is that you are dealing with?! Do you?!"

The persian trembled, but managed to voice a protest. "Lord Sable, this is…most improper treatment I am receiving!"

Sable took a deep, satisfied breath and settled back into the calm, collected persona he was known for. "Of course, of course. My apologies. I only wished to, ah, make a point. Greed is of particular importance to me, you see. It was an impassioned outburst. Think no more of it." He smiled reassuringly at Jasper, who was not the slightest bit reassured. "So, will you do as I ask?"

"Yes, Lord Sable," the cat replied.

"And will you in any way mention this to anyone outside this room?"

"No! No, not ever!"

"Good," Sable said in satisfaction, "Then I believe we are done here. Goodnight, governor. Fifty gold pieces will be delivered to your desk in a month's time."

Jasper nodded earnestly. "Thank you, Lord Sable." As soon as the doors were closed, he sank into his bed and curled tightly around himself, making an emphatic mental note to reinforce the windows next time someone came to visit.

Sable, on the other hand, was in a very good mood. He put his arm around Roxy as they walked in a jaunty fashion, much to her delight. "That went well," he said, "I believe the good persian will do whatever we ask of him now. Without question too, which is nice. A good scare does sometimes tend to frighten people into submission." Roxy nodded in agreement and stepped a bit closer to him. "Now, anything else you've uncovered?"

"One more thing of interest," the emolga replied, "One of the investigative staff sent out a file that had some interesting stuff in it pertaining to the Starchaser Guild. It may give us direct influence over one of its members."

"Oh?" Lord Sable said, intrigued, "Do tell."

"Well, if you recall, after the near collapse of time, many members of the Cult of Darkrai fled and scattered all across the continent," Roxy said, "The file contains evidence that one of the former members is currently working for the Starchaser Guild, unbeknownst to anyone in the town."

Sable's eyes lit up with gleeful, devilish fire. "Oh, that is just perfect!" he cackled, "This will fit into my plans quite nicely. Let us arrange to, ah, _talk_ with the Pokémon in question. The fall of the Starchaser Guild is shortly going to become a reality."


	8. Chapter 8: The Main Event

**Hello all. **

**I am no officially done with all my travels for the summer and have settled back in at college. Also, I am taking a Creative Writing course, so expect a dramatic improvement in my writing style. Also, please, please, please tell me if in this chapter breaks apart the 'dream' of the story. In other words, if something reminds you that you are reading and breaks the 'movie' that the words paint in your head, point it out. I may not really have time to go back and change things, but it will be very helpful going forward.**

**Also, for those of you who like to listen to music while reading, might I suggest a Hoenn Legendary remix of your choice? You'll know when it should begin.**

Chapter Eight:

The Main Event

_"__My armour is like tenfold shields, my teeth are swords, my claws spears, the shock of my tail a thunderbolt, my wings a hurricane, and my breath death!" -Smaug _

Medi grumbled under her breath as she made her way through the dark streets. Why in the world the visiting noble had summoned her to see him, she had no idea. It it was a 'stomachache', he probably wanted Cotton, since the jumpluff was much more skilled with medicine. But no, he had asked for her by name, and her full name too, Medira. How had he known that?

She muttered various curses against him for rousing her out of bed after a day like this. First Eona came, and that had been a surprise, and next the news that Rayquaza was probably going to attack! It had kept her up for hours with worrying. Then, when she had finally gone to sleep, a messenger came and asked her to show up pronto at Jasper's mansion to treat Lord Sable for some ailment! She was in a very bad mood when she finally arrived and made no effort to disguise it.

She burst into the visiting lord's bedchamber with a scowl on her face and claws twitching. It was an old habit from when she had been in a lot of dangerous situations. Though she hadn't been in danger for a long time, her claws were always ready should she ever need them. "Alright," she snarled at the Sableye sitting propped up in bed, "What do you want? Is it a cough? A sore stomach? Did you eat too much rich food? Maybe if you didn't engage in gluttony, this sort of thing wouldn't happen, hmm?"

Behind her, the emolga messenger closed the door with an unobtrusive click and stood in front of it. Medi stiffened slightly. The flying rodent was right in the way of her exit. It struck her as odd. Her claws flexed agitatedly. This reminded her too much of a kidnapping, but it made no sense to her. What use would it to them to trap or try to capture her?

The sableye was studying a sheet of paper, occasionally glancing between it and her. She shifted uncomfortably, resisting the urge to sneer at him. His scrutiny unnerved her. "You know," he said after a few tense moments had passed, "For a town that had a member of the cult of Darkrai in it, there have been a surprisingly few amount of murders and none of them attributable to you. Care to tell me why that is?"

Medi stiffened in surprise. "Oh I see what this is," she said, acid in her voice, "I'm a Dark-type, right? So I must be a member of that bloody cult! Is that it, huh? Well let me tell you something, your highness, I am…"

The sableye grinned. "Mortally offended? Scandalized? Lying through your teeth? You must have known that someone would find you eventually."

Medi's eyes narrowed and her claws twitched. The emolga didn't look like she'd stand up to much. If it came to that, one good cut across the throat ought to put her down. "Look pal, you have the wrong weavile…if there are any _former_ members of that cult, I know of a much more likely choice!"

"Oh yes, the mysterious Shadow. Interesting name, isn't it?" Sable replied, "That's all he is, really. Other than the name on the guild-roster, there is hardly any evidence of his existence. There are stories, rumors, and legends in the criminal underworld about him, but very few have ever seen him." A grin spread on his face in response to Medi's stunned expression. "Surprised? I will admit, bureaucracies do move very slowly, but they tend to keep impeccable records. If you know what to look for, you can find almost anything."

"And why do those records lead you to believe I am a cultist?" Medi snapped bitterly. The situation was quickly getting out of hand. Her eyes constantly wandered toward the room's one exit.

"Well, let's take a look, shall we?" Sable said. He pulled a sheaf of papers from under his blanket and presented them to her. "Here we have a compiled list of all the cult members, including their locations when the Wigglytuff Guild and Cresselia defeated Darkrai himself. And here's a list of which ones were apprehended. You will notice that, in a town but a few days' journey away, there is an entry for a female weavile surgeon who was never apprehending. And now, if you look here, you will see a list that the mayor has _kindly_ provided for us detailing the movements of travelers into and out of the town. As you can see, _you_ first entered town a mere week after the cultist escaped. You can imagine how I would be suspicious."

"But it doesn't prove anything," Medi snapped, folding her arms across her chest and glaring, "And what about Shadow?"

"Ah, yes. Well, no cultists near his level of prowess are currently at large. In fact, the only member of the cult capable of performing half the feats he is credited with would be…" Sable pursed his lips, musing a bit, "Hmm, it would have to be Darkrai himself, wouldn't it? But according the Wigglytuff Guild, Darkrai escaped through an unstable portal, which could lead to…complete and total memory loss." He grinned at her. "Is there…something you'd like to tell me about Shadow?"

"Never met him. And as fascinating as that is," Medi snapped, "It has nothing to do with me. I've had enough of your ridiculous claims. I'm going back to bed." She turned to go.

"Ah, but do you think that the police will find them so ridiculous?" Sable asked, pulling Medi up short. A sly grin grew on the Sableye's face. "After all, it is _very_ suspicious and you know how quickly rumors spread in small towns like this. And Rumor, once started, is nearly impossible to get rid of."

"What do you want?" Medi demanded, voice shaking with impotent rage.

"Right now? Only your cooperation with a small matter that's come up," Sable replied with a soothing voice, "I seem to have neglected to bring a Shift Orb, the one's that duplicate a zoroark's power. Bring me one from the guild's stash."

"Is that all?" Medi chuckled humorlessly, glaring over her shoulder at him. "Seems like a lot of trouble for one trinket!"

"For now, that will be all," Sable replied coolly, "Now go. You have a busy day ahead of you, I believe."

Medi's baleful eyes could have curdled skimmed milk.

The next day, the Starchasers broke the news to the entire town. Even with their best efforts, they barely managed to quell the quickly ensuing panic with promises that they would do their best to protect them.

Work on the town's defenses began immediately. Team Tremor quickly organized teams of excavators to dig a tunnel network below the city into the stone of the cliffs so that the townsfolk would have some shelter during the battle. Chief Pyre turned out every last member of the police force, calling upon the few retirees to bolster his ranks. Ten pokemon in all stood ready to help. They set to work chopping down trees from the forest which Team Firestrike hauled back to the town for use in fortifications. Even Lt. Cascade refused to stay bedridden, despite Pyre's protests.

"Sir," she said firmly, "With all due respect, you need me to watch your back."

"Please, Lieutenant, sit this one out," Pyre begged, "I can't have you overexerting yourself."

"And I can't let you out of my sight," Cascade replied sardonically, "Who knows what trouble you might get yourself into?"

Pyre blustered a bit, but he really had no response to that.

Team Snowpaw busied themselves with planning out exactly how they were going to make the most of their type advantage. Emerald and Slicer had agreed to act as back-up attackers, but it was primarily Team Snowpaw's responsibility to bring him down to the ground. The Starchaser's hoped that their ice would slow the Sky Emperor down some as well as damage him.

Bolt and Kachi, being the two electric types, were also tasked with paralyzing him if possible. If the combined forces of electricity and ice could bring Rayquaza to the ground, then a full-on assault from all directions was the next tactic. There would be casualties, but with luck they would be minimal. Keski, however, wondered to himself whether there is such a thing as luck when a giant dragon is attacking you. That seemed a very unlucky thing in the first place.

The only Pokémon who weren't helping were those in the mayor's mansion. Jasper, Malik, his two bodyguards, and their visitors from the capitol were quite content to let the work of defending the town fall on the shoulders of others. This did nothing to endear them to the hard-working Pokémon and many angry glares fell upon that house.

It was mid-afternoon when it began. A storm appeared over the sea, heading their way and going against the wind. It was massive, towering hundreds of feet into the sky and black as night. All work stopped. Everyone just stared. Lightning flashed. Thunder rumbled, faint echoes coming to them across the sea. The waves began to stir as the wind picked up, whipping them into a frenzy against the rocks.

Jasper took one look at that storm and immediately sent word Chief Pyre telling him that he wanted at least five of the police assigned to defending his home and that one of them should be 'that electric mouse, whose typing should discourage Rayquaza from attacking me'.

"Giratina take him…" Pyre muttered, crumpling up the message, "Kachi! Go defend the mayor. His imperial majesty apparently doesn't like the look of those clouds!"

"Yes sir!" Kachi said with a smart salute, "Should I take anyone else?"

"No," Pyre growled, "He can whine about it later. I'm not diverting more of our forces to defend his house than I need to."

Cascade came up beside him. "So…it looks like this is happening after all."

Pyre glanced over, following her paw to where it pointed. The storm was drawing closer at a remarkable rate. "That it does," the quilava said grimly. He took the Dewott's paw. "Come, we should keep working."

Final preparations took place in a very hurried fashion. The townsfolk hurried down into the tunnels with Ryke, Cotton, Medi, and Mina guarding them. Team Snowpaw took up their place on the top of the guildhall, where a hastily erected parapet shielded them from attacks in every direction. Evenly spaced little slits allowed them to see and fire out but weren't wide enough to leave them exposed. Majyk floated beside it, quietly focusing his mind on the battle ahead. Emerald, Bolt, and Slicer were scattered through the town, ready to light up Rayquaza's underside should they get the chance. Keski stood near to Bolt, ready to defend him, though he didn't much like the prospect of rain. The other defenders also assumed their positions and a period of tense, fretful waiting ensued.

Kachi stood on the roof of the governor's mansion, his assigned post. He didn't much care for it because it was very exposed, though it did offer a good vantage point. He gazed uneasily up at the swift-moving storm. It was almost on top of them now. It was getting dark to. He could barely see the edge of town. He squinted. Lord Sable was standing out on the balcony below. The sableye lord from the capitol wasn't alarmed at all. It was very odd, but he almost seemed…excited.

Then came the rain and it washed all thoughts of him out of Kachi's mind. It pounded the earth with furious strength, barraging and drenching the defenders of Seaside Bluff. It burned too, ever so slightly, leaving the skin wherever it touched reddened and raw after even a little exposure. Kachi shivered. It was cold too. He glanced down at Lord Sable and sighed. "It's going to be a long day…"

All across the town, the defenders sought shelter from the rain. Mendigo was especially vulnerable. He immediately had to take cover or his frail form would have dissolved entirely. It was a heavy downpour. They all hunkered down and scanned the skies, waiting for something to happen.

Down by the ocean, the collapsed portion of the cliff lay quietly, as it had ever since it fell and buried its unfortunate occupant. But as the rain ran down it, trickling in between the stones and permeating every crevice, something stirred. The rocks began to shift, to fall away, slowly at first, but with increasing speed. With one, overpowering movement, an enormous hand thrust its way up through them, sending boulders flying into the air to land in the sea. Slowly, the tremendous form that Bolt and Keski had worked so hard to imprison sat up, shaking off the dust and rubble, and stood.

"Hahahaha!" the ogre laughed, "That was a nice nap! Now it's time to work!" He set off towards the docks with big, stomping strides.

A ways into the forest, a dead tree stood unmoved by the rain trickling down its rotting wood. The limp, dry corpse of the evil cacturne hung on it, rain trickling down its face. Among the dead roots, however, a green flower bloomed and blossomed in response to the rain. It drew the water into itself, swelling and growing, sprouting limbs and shaping itself into a duplicate of the form pinned to the tree but without any of the injuries. Its yellow eyes scanned the woods and a wicked smile spread across the scarecrow's face.

"New orders acknowledged," it said, "Proceeding with the mission." Turning toward the town, it set off to cause even more chaos and havoc than before.

Up above the town, Sunsoarer flew in a wide circle trying to get a glimpse into the storm and discover just where in it Rayquaza was. The rain kept getting in his eyes, however, and so the flygon had to look down frequently to wipe it out. His eyes narrowed. He thought he could see the massive bulk moving up the beach towards the harbor and the hunched over scarecrow headed for the gate. He blinked rapidly and rubbed his eyes, just to make sure he was actually seeing things correctly. He was. Alarmed, he banked hard and dove for the guildhall.

"Master Majyk!" he called as he swooped down and landed beside him, "The cacturne and the hariyama! They're back!"

The alakazam stared at him. "Are you absolutely certain?" The flygon nodded in affirmation. After a moment, Majyk's mind touched the hariyama's. He shuddered. "So they are." Immediately, he sent out a mental link to all members of the guild, the police, Keski, and Bolt. "We have a new problem," he said via telepathy, "It seems the other two are less dead than we thought."

"How less dead?" Mendigo replied.

"Alive and coming right for us," Majyk answered.

"That's pretty not-dead," Mendigo muttered.

"Gee,_ thank you_, Mendigo!" Corona snapped, though there was an edge of fear to the flareon's reply.

"Okay," Pyre broke in, "Response teams! We need to send response teams."

"Well, we have to stay up here!" Cia said nervously.

"Yep!" Yuki agreed.

"We must be ready for when Rayquaza descends!" Cyon added, "We can't go gallivanting off and face that cacturne again!"

"This rain puts a damper on our fire," Rafasa added. The monferno, although apologetic, made it clear with that one utterance that there was no room for argument. "The hariyama, he is purely physical, but we would be outclassed by the cacturne."

Majyk sighed, a bit disappointed. "I understand. Firestrike, you three will engage the hariyama. Team Snowpaw, stay where you are."

"I can go fight the cacturne!" Bolt offered, "I can move very quickly! He won't even hit me!"

"No!" Keski interjected, "Master Majyk, allow me. I am quite experienced with fighting dark-types. I will make short work of him."

Naila scoffed. "Alone?"

"Yes, alone," Keski said, "As I said, I know how to fight his kind."

"Go, but are you sure you don't want any help?" Majyk asked.

"I could send a few officers with you," Pyre offered, "We have a fighting-type or two."

"No, I've got it," the lucario said with a growl, "A warning for the hariyama, though. Any attack against his body will fail. It's practically invulnerable."

Majyk sighed. "Then that leaves the mind. Emerald, I must stay here and guard Team Snowpaw. Will you go and face this monster instead?"

"Master, it would be my genuine pleasure," she responded, "Team Firestrike! Meet me down by the docks!"

"Roger that," Blitz growled, "We're on our way."

"I'm on my way too," Cascade said coolly, "I want another crack at him."

"Sure you don't want any help, Keski?" Stuffy offered.

"No," Keski replied confidently, "I can handle myself."

A dark shape landed on the roof of the guild next to Majyk, alarming Team Snowpaw. "Master," he said, "I will go. I failed to kill the cacturne the first time. I will finish the job now."

"Who's he?" Cia asked shakily.

The shape straightened and revealed himself to be a zoroark. "Team Snowpaw I presume? My name's Shadow," he said, smiling at them, "Nice to meet you in person."

The name sent a flood of recognition through them. "Oh!" Cia exclaimed.

"So you really are a…" Yuki began, but trailed off.

Majyk was slightly disgruntled at his public appearance, but did not make an issue of it. "Go then, but only intervene if your help is needed," he said, "And may Arceus speed your steps."

Shadow bowed. "Thank you, master." And then he was off, bounding across the roof-tops.

Lightning flashed inside the clouds overhead. A long, serpentine shape wound its way through them, like a lion weaving through the grass as it approaches its prey. A faint echo of a roar came right behind the rumble of thunder. However, Keski barely paused to look up. He marched down the middle of the streets, headed right for the North Gate. Alone. After all, he didn't want anyone to see the true color of his fur once the rain washed the dye out.

He reached the gate ahead of his opponent and carefully scanned the area. After finding no sign of anyone watching him, he sat down under the shelter of the small guard station and closed his eyes, extending his second sight as far as it could go. There was a slight flicker of life approaching from within the town, but it was so faint he disregarded it. Soon, though, he sensed his opponent.

He was moving hastily, though not quickly, toward the gate. Keski concentrated, using his extra time to study its aura more carefully than he did with the hariyama. It seemed…incomplete, as if half of it was missing. No, not missing, _shrouded_. A stifling black overwhelmed part of the colorful spectrum that normally made up an aura. Keski felt slightly disconcerted, seeing that unnatural color mix and mingle with the other, normal ones he had memorized as a riolu.

The cacturne spotted him shortly. A questioning note entered its aura and it cautiously approached. When it was within hailing distance, it shouted, "You are not a registered member of the Starchaser Guild or the police. I memorized their profiles before coming here."

"Yep," Keski replied, "Officially, I'm a prisoner."

"Prisoner, eh? Then I will give you a choice," the cacturne stated. More of the purple mist flowed out of its arms, forming into the deadly spikes. "Move or die."

Keski focused all his attention on those two spikes, straining to predict where they would go. "I really hate only having two options…"

"Then you won't be bothered long." The cacturne flung its hands forward and sent twin spikes whistling through the air. In response, Keski sent a burst of energy to his legs and rocketed forward. He ducked low and barely managed to slide right under the spikes' path. Instead, they buried themselves in the town wall.

"Heh, slippery, aren't you?" the scarecrow muttered, "But I've dealt with slipperier."

Keski came in low. His fist shot up, but the scarecrow leaned sideways and avoided it. Dark energy enveloped its left arm and it delivered a ringing blow to the side of Keski's head. The lucario stumbled backwards and managed to evade a swiftly thrown spike more by luck than skill. A trickle of blood from a cut over his eye fell into his vision and he moved quickly to wipe it out. Even that small delay was too much, however. He opened his eyes just soon enough to see the cacturne right in front of him. An instant later, the scarecrow's fist passed easily through his clumsy block and slammed into his stomach. He doubled over and felt another crushing hit strike the back of his head. He fell to the ground.

"You're much too slow," the cacturne said mockingly, "And you've delayed me long enough." It summoned two spikes and held them above Keski's body like knives, prepared to drive them into his back. Yet as they came down, the lucario rolled over and seized both of his opponent's wrists. With a simple twist, he sent the grass-type hurtling over him. The spines gouged wounds in the pads of his forepaws and he winced.

They both rose slowly, each taking stock of the other. Keski raised his bleeding fore-paws and crouched into a fighter's stance. The cacturne summoned two more spikes and held them ready to be thrown or wielded as weapons. For a moment they stood still. Then, a burst of aura raced through Keski's legs and he leapt high into the air. The cacturne fired, but undershot him. The scarecrow took a step back, trying to avoid him, but the lucario's iron fist slammed into its face.

Keski landed heavily, only to shoot upwards with a stunning uppercut the cacturne's chin. The scarecrow fell backwards off-balance, but he was too sturdy to knock off his feet. Its spiny arm came up and slammed down, delivering a crushing blow to Keski's left shoulder. The lucario retaliated with a right hook with an explosion of aura thrown in for good measure. The cacturne's head spun a quarter turn left, a nice scorch mark on the cheek.

The scarecrow backed up a bit, summoning more spikes to its grip. Keski's foot lashed out and slammed into its chest. Head-spinning, the cacturne fired wildly, barely missing Keski's ears. A spinning kick straight to the mouth later and the lucario knocked him flat on his back.

The cacturne spat. "This body is too swollen," it muttered, "It is affecting my speed."

"Oh don't make excuses," Keski snarled, "I know how to deal with your kind. You may not have real organs, but if I destroy that head of yours you'll still be dead. Now get up. I wasn't finished with you."

The cacturne smirked evilly at him and didn't move. Keski growled. "If you think I won't attack you just because you are on the ground…" He frowned. He couldn't be certain in the darkness, but it looked as if there were roots growing out of the grass-type's legs. A quick check with his sixth-sense confirmed that a network of roots was quickly burrowing deep underground. "Thinking to heal yourself, eh? Think again!"

He leapt for the cacturne, intending to pummel him into submission. Suddenly, the ground under him erupted into a mess of writhing roots. One immediately wrapped around his middle and hoisted him into the air. He growled and neatly sliced it off with a swipe of the spikes on his paws, but another one coiled around his wrists. It was easy to snap, but it held him in the air just long enough for the others to tangle themselves around his body. The cacturne slowly stood up, a smug grin on his face. All the while, more roots sprouted out of its legs and wrapped around the lucario. They bound his arms, legs, torso, and a few even went around his neck.

"Ingrain, such a useful move," the cacturne said, "Such fast-growing roots can easily be turned to other purposes than just absorbing nutrients and enough of them will restrain the strongest tauros. Now…" He summoned another spike and leveled it at Keski's stomach. "You are neutralized." Keski snarled in response, but the cacturne did not fire. He stared at Keski, frowning, fascinated by him all of the sudden. "Gold…" he muttered.

Keski did not hear him. He strained against his bonds, making the tendons on his arms and legs bulge. He couldn't break free. A tidal wave of panic descended upon him, irrational and irresistible. Words ran through his mind like jeering imps. Chained, bound, restrained. Get out. Get out. Break free. _Get out_.

The world began to blur as time slowed down. The blood vessels in his eyes expanded dramatically, turning them almost to a glowing gold. The tendons in his arms and legs tensed, straining against his bonds with primal ferocity. A deep growl rose in the lucario's throat, a warning to back off quickly. "Let go of me," he ordered, surprisingly quiet, "Now."

"You have gold fur," the cacturne stated, still processing that.

Keski didn't notice, but the rain had been working at an alarming rate to wash away the dye in his fur, revealing his shoulders and most of his hips to be gold, not black. "I said," he snarled, "Let. Me. GO!"

An explosion of aura came from both his forepaws, withering the roots holding him within seconds. The cacturne shrieked in pain. It felt as if the life had just been torn right out of part of him. Alarmed, the scarecrow fired, but the seed inside of the spike met the same fate as the roots and Keski's skin, fur, and tensed muscles blunted the spike itself. The lucario shredded the dead plant-stuffs binding him, tearing them apart with hate-filled vehemence. He landed in a crouch, a snarl on his face and flares of aura radiating from both his paws.

"I hate being tied up. I hate being imprisoned," he said as he advanced on the cacturne with rage in his glowing eyes, "And I hate, hate, _hate_ Dark-types!" With a howl, he charged. His eyes missed nothing, the way the rain pounded the muddy ground, the wind whipping the grass and making it bend and bob like waves on the ocean. He even saw exactly where the spikes were aiming an avoided them with contemptuous ease. But everything was red, red as blood. The world was drenched in it and Keski found himself relishing it. He was in his element. He ducked, twisted, side-stepped, all without breaking stride. Roots erupted from the ground, but they withered the instant they touched him. With a flying tackle, he rammed into the cacturne, tearing its legs out of the ground with an audible 'crack!'

Keski grinned. His normal vision and aura vision were perfectly overlapping each other now and he watched the flows of aura emanating from the pinned cacturne. There was no fear, but there was a quite large amount of alarm and another portion of anger. The scarecrow's spines dug into his body as it struggled to get free again and it hurt. Their eyes locked, displaying no pity or mercy for the other. There was only one way this fight could end. Keski decided to finish the scarecrow off permanently.

Viciously, he grabbed its head with both paws and forced it to look right into his eyes. Then, with a devilishly delighted grin, he said, "Wither, monster." A pulse of blue flame went through it and Keski felt his own aura latch onto the cacturne's twisted and distorted one. His ate into it like acid, burning all traces of life right out of the scarecrow's body in under a minute. It convulsed in silent agony. Its spines gouged his legs and left long gashes, but shortly it fell back and moved no more.

Keski stood, remarkably calm. His eyes returned to their normal color and the world around him regained its regular hues_._ However, he shuddered suddenly and fell to his knees, retching. He felt exhausted, as if he had just run two hundred miles across rocky terrain with the sun beating down on him. He fell to the ground and lay there. He caught a glimpse of the growing patches of gold in his soaked fur, but not even that was enough to stir him to action. All he could think about was the overwhelming need to sleep…

"…" Shadow watched the lucario in astonishment, standing a good distance away to avoid being detected by his sixth sense. He was, quite frankly, stunned. All he had seen was Keski tackled the cacturne, grab him, and then the cacturne just collapsed, struck dead as if Arceus himself had leaned down from above and smote him. But then, inexplicably, Keski had been violently ill and then immediately fallen to sleep. In the middle of a rainstorm. There was also the curious matter of his gold fur, but Shadow did not know what that could mean. He reflected ruefully that, if he had his memory, he would probably know. But he did not and Master Majyk had told him that pursuing it would only bring him great pain.

It was then that there was a sound of rushing wind and a tremendous explosion. Shadow whirled and saw that the general store was completely obliterated and the rubble of it was still raining down on the town. He glanced back at Keski and decided he just couldn't leave him out in the middle of the storm. Swift as an arrow, he scooped the lucario up and carried him back to the guildhall.

Yet just because Keski was out didn't mean the battle was over. Far from it. The clouds parted overhead, drawing all eyes upwards. At the docks, where Emerald stood triumphant over the monstrous hariyama, the victors turned their attention upward. At the top of the Starchaser Guild Team Snowpaw looked up nervously. And on the roof of Jasper's mansion, where Kachi concerned, brown eyes and Lord Sable's gleaming eager ones peered into the clouds, all attention was inexorably drawn towards the serpentine figure that descended from the clouds. A roar echoed across the town.

Black scales with yellow, glowing runes emblazoned on the sides shone in the darkness. Claws flexed. Teeth gnashed together. It was indeed Rayquaza, the Sky Emperor, and his wrath was terrible. "WHERE IS SHE?!" he demanded. A bright light appeared in the dragon's jaws. "TELL ME!" A blast of orange energy obliterated a house down by the docks, raining splinters and rock fragments on the surrounding area. For an instant, all courage deserted the defenders and they quailed. But then, somehow, Cyon swallowed his fears and turned to his sisters.

"Center stage, girls," he said, smiling weakly, "Our act is up next and we're the main attraction. Let's give them a show, shall we?" Cia and Yuki exchanged glances and slowly nodded. "Right! This storm will blow away any wind we create, so it's ice-only attacks for the most part. Ready? Fire!"

Triple beams of ice shot up into the sky. Rayquaza didn't see them until they were almost upon him as his gaze was on another part of the town. "GAAAAAH!" The dragon recoiled from the ice, twisting and convulsing to break off the little that had formed on his flanks. "WHO _DARES_ TO ATTACK ME?!

The three glaceons bravely replied. "We're the sensational, celestial siblings of Team Snowpaw!"

"That's right!" Yuki added.

With a roar, Rayquaza coiled and dove towards them, but now the battle was joined. The others quickly responded. Slicer catapulted rocks into the air. Emerald reached out and gathered the light of the moon to herself, sending out great blasts of it and lighting up the sky just as well as the lightning did. From the roof of the mansion, Kachi reached into the skies, redirecting the bolts of lightning to strike the legendary dragon while at the station the police force unleashed a concentrated barrage of whatever was at hand, even some of the loose stones from the road. They held nothing back, knowing that if they did they stood no chance.

The assault from all sides bewildered and confused the great dragon. He turned every which way, roaring and bellowing in rage, and found himself under attack from every direction. Even though they mostly bounced off his scales without leaving any noticeable damage, the very fact that these impudent mortals dared to attack him sent him soaring to new heights of rage. He cast his eyes about the town, searching for a target. Then, he spotted the closely-grouped police, standing on top of their station and firing volleys of attacks at him. A great blast of energy built up in his mouth. With a striking motion like a serpent, he fired an attack with enough force to flatten the entire building.

And it would have if Emerald hadn't appeared, arms outstretched and eyes glowing. The energy struck an invisible shield and detonated, but the force of the explosion shattered Emerald's concentration and threw her backwards with a scream of pain.

"Emerald!" Majyk called. Very much alarmed, he reached out and teleported her to safety beside him. She appeared more frightened and stunned than hurt, to the Guildmaster's relief.

"That…" she said, "Was…terrifying. How…how are we supposed to fight that?"

On the other side of the town, Kachi's attention was divided between Rayquaza and Lord Sable. The ghost type was leaning forward, watching excitedly with a wicked grin on his face. It was hard to be sure because of the darkness, but it was very hard to miss this. The sableye didn't care, though, for the moment. It was all he could do not to burst out cackling as Rayquaza unleashed yet another devastating attack on the city. Boom! A warehouse down by the docks was splinters and rubble. It was all just too perfect! Now he would find out for sure whether or not the Guildmaster was a Seal-bearer. And if he was, well then, a special fate awaited him and the entire guild!

"WHERE IS SHE?!" Rayquaza roared, "I WILL NOT BE DENIED!" With another attack, someone's house became a pile of splinters.

"Will you stop blowing up the town?!" Majyk was surprised to hear Bolt's voice shout up at the Emperor of the Skies. "Do you know how rude that is? Imagine if we blew up Sky Tower!"

Rayquaza's head whipped around and glowered down, searching for the source of the voice. " WHO SAID THAT?! SHOW YOURSELF!"

"I'm right here! Sheesh, are you going blind or something? Maybe if you got rid of this nasty rain, you could spot me more easily! What do you say?"

"SHOW YOURSELF!"

"Maybe you could take a minute to think it over?"

"I DEMAND YOU SHOW YOURSELF!"

"I'M STANDING ON TOP OF THIS ROOF! WHAT ELSE AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?!" Bolt huffed in annoyance. "Now, why don't you calm down?"

"NEVER!" Rayquaza roared.

."Wow," Bolt said, "Whatever did this to you certainly didn't do much for your conversational abilities, did it?" He brightened suddenly. "Hey! I know! Why don't I tell you a joke? That'll help you feel better! I know this really good one about a minccino and a muk!"

Rayquaza frowned, straining whatever shackles were on his mind to try and find a response to this. Lord Sable ground his teeth. The attack was slowing to a standstill If that jolteon ruined another one of his plans, he was going to strangle him personally. The ghost was in such a rage that he didn't even realize he had voiced his opinions out loud.

Kachi stared at him with wide eyes. Suddenly, he felt very alone up on top of Jasper's mansion…

Rayquaza roared, shaking the entire cliff-side. "I WILL DESTROY YOU ALL! EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU!"

"That seems a little excessive!" Bolt shouted up at him.

"SILENCE!"

"No! If I'm going to be destroyed, I'm going to do it talking!" After a moment, Bolt added. "And singing! Like this! _Midnight over the Oceanside! It appears Rayquaza is blind!_"

Rayquaza's rage reached new heights. He dove down, catching sight of Bolt on a low rooftop, and came for him, teeth bared and claws ready. Bolt's ears drooped and he gulped.

"Um…" he muttered, "Exit stage right! You've been a marvelous audience, but I think it's past my bedtime!" He leapt clear just as Rayquaza smashed into the home he had been standing on, turning it to matchsticks. Bolt rolled to his feet and took off running, Rayquaza hot on his heels. The great, serpentine body smashed against the buildings on either side of the street, sending tables and chairs through a café window, the porch through a textile store, and completely sheering off the front of the 'Adventurer's Supplies: Your local branch of Kecleon Bros. Inc.'

"I don't think these streets were designed with someone of your…girth in mind!" Bolt shouted back at him, "Maybe you should lose some weight first!"

Whether or not Rayquaza understood that Bolt was calling him fat is debatable. The dragon was so enraged that he was not capable of coherent thought. He chased on, oblivious to the damage he was causing and to the attacks that rained down upon him from the desperate defenders of Seaside Crest.

Then disaster struck. In the hasty evacuation, some unfortunate child had left or dropped a toy in the middle of the street. Bolt, once again looking over his shoulder and not where he was going, stepped on it and went tumbling head over paws. With a roar of triumph, Rayquaza seized him in his claws and shot up into the air with Bolt struggling in his grip.

"Hey! Put me down! I'm not designed to go this high! Four legs, no wings!" Bolt protested. Rayquaza roared in his face. "Okay, stop! Just stop! You're the Emperor of the Skies, but you're acting like a feral beast! I know your temper is legendary, but this is just… hey, what are you doing? No! Wait! AHHHHHH!" With one, swift motion, the dragon threw Bolt down, intending to watch him get dashed against the ground below.

"I'm dead," Bolt thought, "Dead, dead, dead. Falling, falling, and wow that is a lot of air moving past me. What now?" It occurred to him he should probably make peace with Arceus before he met him personally, so he closed his eyes and began muttering prayers about how he was sorry he had stolen an extra cookie when Keski wasn't looking and any other minor offences he could think up. However, just when he was sure he was about to hit the ground, there was a bright flash and someone grabbed the scruff of his neck. His eyes shot open and he yelped in surprise.

"I have you," Majyk said, keeping a tight grip on him, "I'm going to teleport you down to the ground now that you are at a safe velocity." Without waiting for a response, he sent the jolteon to safety. Then he turned to face Rayquaza.

"YOU WILL ALL DIE! WHERE IS SHE?! WHERE IS LATIAS?!"

"That's enough!" Majyk's commanding voice rang across the town, "Even if you had a legitimate excuse to be searching for her, your wanton destruction undermines any weight it might carry. Now leave! You have caused enough damage today. Leave or I will destroy you!"

These words penetrated the dragon's skull. His eyes narrowed suspiciously, sizing up the alakazam. He scoffed at what he saw. "You would not make more than a mouthful."

"That is the first real thing you have said this entire battle," Majyk stated, "An actual observation, not just a barely articulate demand or a threat. But I repeat, leave now or face me in single combat."

A sinister grin slowly spread across the black-scaled dragon's face. He bared his teeth and flexed his claws, putting on a vicious, barbarous display. Master Majyk watched impassively. "I CHOOSE TO FIGHT!" the dragon declared, plunging down toward the psychic. His claws met air and his jaws closed on nothing, though a great flash blinded his eyes.

Lord Sable leaned forward in interest. This was it, the critical moment. "Come, Master Majyk," he said under his breath, "Let's see just how powerful you are."

Rayquaza blinked rapidly and cast his gaze about, searching for Majyk. A sharp pain stabbed into the back of his head and he whipped around, jaws wide. A blast of energy nailed him in the throat and exploded. The dragon roared in pain and rage, but was not visibly slowed or damaged.

"Strong as you may be, you will never catch me," Majyk stated.

Rayquaza wheeled and leered. "You think your attacks will stop me?! HA! I AM INVINCIBLE! YOUR ATTACKS WILL BOUNCE OFF MY HIDE! And when you are tired, I WILL DEVOUR YOU!"

There was a moment of silence.

"Allow me to show you something," Majyk said flatly, "The situation has become desperate enough, I think. As you said, you are practically invulnerable, even to the attacks that should affect you, and further conflict will only injure my subordinates and the valiant police. Behold!" He stretched out his hand and a burst of psychic energy shot out from it, forming into the shape of a curved sword that stretched much farther than any normal sword ever could. He leveled it at the dragon's head as Rayquaza turned to face him.

The dragon fired a molten blast of energy from his maw, but one swing of the oversized blade sent it shooting off harmlessly into the distance. Angered, Rayquaza charged only to be met with a full-force stroke to the head. Though the dragon's scales blunted the edge of the blade, the force of the blow knocked him aside.

"You have pushed me past the limit, Lord Rayquaza," Majyk stated, parrying another attack and delivering a crushing blow to the dragon's chin, "It has been ages since I fought personally. But I would be in the wrong if I did not use this power I wield when no other option remains! Now, fall to me!"

All eyes were on the sky, watching in awe as the two fought. Not once did Rayquaza even draw near to Majyk. He always found himself batted away and his attacks deflected. The giant sword flicked back and forth, parrying, slashing, stabbing, and hacking. It was everywhere at once, reappearing wherever Master Majyk teleported. "What _is_ that?" Cyon asked no one in particular.

"I…have no idea," Emerald replied, stunned.

But though all the spectators were very glad to see this, none of them were nearly as delighted as Lord Sable. He cackled with almost insane amounts of glee. He had been right! That attack was clearly the power of a Sealbearer! Now granted, there was nothing spectacular about a very powerful psychic using a tremendous Psycho Cut, but there was one thing that set Majyk's apart: it was damaging Rayquaza. No regular attack would do that due to his natural defenses and the Reprogramming.

Sable cackled. That jolteon hadn't spoiled the whole thing after all! Plus, now he could move forward with some of his other plans. Tonight, however, he felt like celebrating. He turned away from the battle. The shadows around him darkened and twisted. Some unheard signal passed from him to the legendary dragon above.

Immediately afterwards, Rayquaza stopped attacking. He glared murderously at Majyk once more. Then with one parting roar, he turned and fled over the ocean, taking the storm with him. The battle was over for now, but Kachi, who had stopped paying attention to the battle altogether and had observed Lord Sable, alone suspected that something else was going to happen very soon.


	9. Chapter 9: The Intrepid Officer

**There's really nothing I can say about this chapter. Just...read it and leave a review.**

Chapter 9:

The Intrepid Officer

_"__The boundaries that divide Life from Death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where one ends and the other begins?" –Edgar Allen Poe _

"Alright, everyone! Lunchtime!"

Kachi gladly set down the load of rubble he was carrying and wiped his brow. The reconstruction of the town was going well. A lot of damage was left, but at least everyone had a place to stay now. Even the dead, few as they were, had been buried. At least no one had to live in the jail-cells if they didn't belong there anymore. Plus, most of the rubble was cleared away now. He had actually been carrying the last of it. But now he went over and joined the other workers for lunch.

Meadow was among the servers. She grinned and waved at him as he passed and he smiled back. She brought such joy and light to his life, especially after the tough cases he sometimes had to deal with. For instance, the current one. The case of Lord Sable.

He received his food with a nod and a grateful smile. The server smiled at him. "Doing alright, officer Kachi?"

"Yes, thank you!" he said. He gave the food an appreciative sniff. "Mm! Smells great! Give my compliments to the cook!"

She laughed and turned to serve the next in line. Kachi sighed contentedly. Of all the police, the townsfolk seemed to like him the best. He didn't really bother about why that was. Most likely it was his desire to help where he could. Like he had with Keski and Bolt. Speaking of them, he had heard that Keski hadn't woken up since the attack. Something about 'aura deprivation', though since Cotton was the one who had told him and the jumpluff spoke _very_ quickly he wasn't sure of the details. Nothing unusual there.

No, if anyone was acting unusual, it was Medi. Her normal, bemused behavior was gone, replaced by sullen fits and sulking. It was quite strange and the pikachu police officer couldn't make heads or tails of it.

He took a bite of the fresh-baked bread. Mmm! Nice and hearty. Maybe if there was a bit of butter it would be better, but there wasn't any to be had. Too bad. Besides, he had more important concerns at the moment. Lord Sable was up to something. It seemed certain that he was somehow involved in the attacks. But how? He'd been in the town during all the last two. He couldn't have been _directly_ involved, could he? So was he a part of some larger organization?

The pikachu's head spun round and round in a cacophony of questions. Out of it, though, one course of action emerged. He needed evidence. It was all well and good to tell what he'd seen, but without proof it would be just his word against Sable's and whoever the dark-type could pay to testify on his behalf. So the real problem became how to get that evidence. He had to act soon too. Whatever Lord Sable had planned, assuming he was somehow involved with these attacks, it couldn't be good. Too many had already been hurt and even one death was too much.

He hoped Keski would be okay…

For once in his life, Keski's dreams were happy. It was a memory, but a pleasant one from before he evolved. He was sitting on a mountain plateau, eating an apple, beside an ancient lucario with a grizzled muzzle and faded fur. Keski bit deep into the apple, savoring the juice as it dribbled down his chin. His gold fur shone brightly in the evening light and contentment rested in his heart like a roosting bird. But a question nagged at the back of his mind, digging into him until he had to ask it.

"Master," he said, turning to the lucario beside him, "Why does my father hate me?"

The lucario blinked rapidly. He had been about to doze off and so it took him a few seconds to collect himself. "Keski…" He sighed.

"Don't say he doesn't! I know he does!" Keski bit into the apple and chewed it, still talking. "I just want to know why. That's all. No one ever told me why."

"Well…you weren't exactly…" The lucario looked into his eyes and sighed. "Keski, you have to understand, your father is a very important person in Northmarch and you…well, you are, in a way, a very _narrow-minded_ way, a mistake."

Keski blinked, the words stabbing him like knives. "I'm a mistake?" he stammered.

"No, you are a creature of Arceus," his master said with the slight growl that crept into his voice whenever he was being serious, "Never forget that."

"Then why does my father think I'm a mistake?"

"Because, Keski, your mother is not your father's mate," the old lucario explained. "He never…intended for you to be born. Because you were, you are a very big embarrassment to him."

Keski nodded and looked down, digesting this. He finished the apple and threw the core away, watching it roll off the edge and fall down the cliff below. "I wish you were my father…" he muttered. He felt arms wrap around him from behind and lift him up into a hug. It was warm and he felt safe. He wriggled and turned around, returning the embrace happily.

"I do too," his master said, voice choked with emotion as he stroked Keski's head. The riolu didn't notice though. All he knew was that he felt safe and happy in the old lucario's arms.

The scene faded and Keski lay content, drifting off into deeper slumber where no dreams venture. When he awoke later that day, he didn't remember why but the feeling of peace and contentment persisted. Thanks to this, he only rolled his eyes and sighed when he saw Bolt sleeping at the foot of his bed, laying on his back and snoring softly with all four feet in the air.

Still sleepy, he rolled over and tucked his arms under his head for comfort. The bed was comfortable enough, but he'd gotten into the habit of using his arms as a pillow a while ago and it was notoriously hard to stop. Sleep tugged at his mind again and he almost fell into it. The word 'gold' went through his mind like an alarm bell. He squinted. Gold. Why were his upper arms gold?

His eyes widened. With one, frantic movement, he kicked the covers off and rolled off of bed. He landed on his tail with a 'thump' and gritted his teeth in pain. It passed quickly though and he was about to look down at himself when he hesitated. Then, after a moment had passed, he braced himself and looked down.

Shining gold fur met his gaze, almost gleaming in the light of the guestroom. All traces of dye were gone, leaving only the natural luster of his coat. All warmth left his body, leaving him feeling cold and frozen. He swallowed, but instead of collapsing he began to pace furiously, mind racing in a vicious circle at a thousand miles an hour. Who knew? What were they going to do? Would they kill him? No, that was ridiculous. But they might turn him into the authorities. He'd be made a spectacle of. A freak side-show. No, no, not now! He would run away before that happened. Disappear into the wilds. No one would ever find him.

But wait! How long had he been out? What if Tyrone had already discovered his location? Even after the years he'd spent on the island with Bolt, he doubted that tyranitar had forgotten him. Those things lived forever and Tyrone was practically as old as the mountains themselves! He wouldn't be able to forget him, especially since he had been responsible for driving him and his subjects out of their kingdom!

The door opened softly behind him and he whirled, crouched in a fighting stance. When a zoroark entered, he growled from the back of his throat. So Tyrone had found him already. That complicated things. The intruder raised an eyebrow. "News travels quickly, I see," Keski spat, "If you value your life, assassin, you'll turn around and go back to whatever crevice Tyrone is hiding in these days!"

The zoroark blinked. "Um…I think you have the wrong idea. My name is Shadow. I'm the Starchaser Guild's best agent, as it were."

"Right," Keski growled, not convinced, "Then leave. Now."

Shadow shifted awkwardly. "I'm the one who brought you back to the guild, you know. After you killed the cacturne." Keski's gaze grew sharper. "I just had a question I wanted to ask. I'm a bit too curious sometimes. I lost my memory, you see, so…" Keski's fighting stance did not slacken in the slightest. Shadow huffed, annoyed. "Look, I just want to know why your fur is such an odd color, okay? That is all. I've been checking in every so often, but this is the first time you've been awake."

"You want to know why?" Keski snarled, "I'll show you why!" He crouched down to gather power and then leapt right for the zoroark. He missed. Shadow moved aside incredibly quickly and Keski's fist slammed into the wall.

"Hey!" Shadow said in alarm. He ducked a wild right hook and raised both arms to block a left jab. "Stop it!"

"You aren't kill me!" Keski growled. Suddenly, his head spun. Weakness sprang upon him like a hunter on prey and he collapsed, groaning. Shadow knelt beside him in alarm.

"What? What's wrong? Strange stuff happens sometimes to people around me. Are you al-" The zoroark reeled back, clutching his midriff right under the ribs where Keski had socked him. The wind was driven out of him and he gasped desperately for air. Keski stood shakily, stumbling a few times, and crouched in his favorite fighting stance. "Giratina take you! What the hell was that for?!" Shadow snapped, coughing.

"Stranger comes into my room and turns out to be a zoroark, I automatically assume they are out for my blood," Keski said coldly, "Now come on! I haven't got all day!"

Anger clouded Shadow's face and his blue eyes flashed. "I told you to _stop_," he said in a voice that froze Keski's marrow. The lucario stepped away, eyes wide, as Shadow advanced. "I carried you back to the guild. Whatever reasons you have for dying your fur, I thought they must be important. And so thanks to me, your secret isn't the talk of the town. I was just a bit curious. That's all, got it? If you don't want to tell me, if you don't even want me in the room, _fine_. I'll leave."

Keski frowned. "So…you're not an assassin?" Shadow glared at him scornfully. "Right. So does anyone else know about…this?" He gestured to the gold fur that covered most of his body.

Shadow smiled smugly. "Could be. Not for me to say. I'm not wanted here. Though Master Majyk _did_ want to talk with you." He turned and was out the door in a flash. Keski gulped.

"I'm sunk," he said. On the bed, Bolt stirred.

"Who's sunk?" he asked.

Keski looked at him dubiously. "Seriously? That's all you heard?"

Bolt blinked. "Why? Did something happen?"

Keski sighed. "Why do I even bother? Now where is the dye? I need to get it back in my fur before…" There was a knock at the door. "Ahh! Um, don't come in! I'm…um…grooming my fur!"

Bolt stared at him. "No you're not. You're just standing in the middle of the room."

"Keski," Emerald's voice came through the wood door, "It's us. Master Majyk and the top ranking members of the guild want to talk with you."

"Come in!" Bolt called. Keski's look was one of fear crossed with disbelief.

"Bolt!" he said, stunned.

"Keski, you've been asleep for several days! They all know!" Bolt explained. Keski, in a panic, dove behind the bed and out of sight. The door opened and Emerald came in first, quickly followed by Mendigo, Slicer, and of course Master Majyk. Bolt smiled in greeting and rolled upright. "Hi!"

"Hello, Bolt," Emerald said, giving him a warm smile. She set down the basket she had been carrying. "I brought you some biscuits and honey."

Bolt's eyes lit up. "Wow! You're the best, Emerald!"

"What about me then?" Mendigo asked, sounding a little crestfallen.

"You're creepy," Bolt replied.

"Aw, you know just what to say!" the shedinja responded with a laugh.

Slicer pushed past the others and scanned the room critically. "Alright," the kabutops said in a harsh, grating voice, "Where is he?"

"Who?" Bolt asked innocently.

"Bolt, we heard Keski talking to you from the hall," Majyk said. The jolteon grinned sheepishly. "Keski, I know you are here. I can sense your mind. Please, come out from under the bed."

All eyes fell on that particular piece of furniture. Slowly, very slowly, Keski's paw appeared. Then the other. Bit by bit, he emerged and stood upright before them. He gulped nervously and looked down. A shudder ran through his body, like a gust of cold air had just blow over him or like someone had just stepped on his grave. For a long moment, no one spoke.

"What's the matter, Keski?" Mendigo asked somewhat lightly, though it was a bit forced, "You look like you're about to face the executioner." Keski flinched.

"What's your problem?" Slicer grunted.

Keski opened his mouth to reply, but then shut it again. "Please…" he choked out, "Go away."

"Keski…" Emerald said softly. She approached and knelt beside him, but he scrambled away into the corner with wide eyes. "Keski, stop it," she snapped, "We aren't here to kill you. Gold fur is not really all that different than black fur. It actually looks a lot nicer, if you want to know my personal opinion."

"I…I'm not afraid of you killing me," Keski stammered.

"Good, because we aren't going to," Emerald stated, "And we aren't going to sell you out either."

"Wait, why would we even think of doing that?" Mendigo asked, "Does someone really want a gold-furred rug?"

Bolt blinked. "A rug? Out of fur? Since when do they do that?"

Slicer turned toward the shedinja, annoyed. "No, idiot. There is perhaps one shiny Pokémon in each generation. So there would be some very unscrupulous Pokémon that want them. Remember that Eevee you, Emerald, and I rescued? The grey one?"

"Oh, right," Mendigo said, feeling slightly foolish, "I guess that sort of thing would have more attraction to people who, you know, buy stuff. Me? I don't eat. I don't sleep. And I really have no use for luxuries."

"Why's that?" Bolt asked.

"I'm a floating shell. I can hear, see, and sort of feel. Food though? Competely wasted on me."

"If it helps," Emerald said softly, placing a paw on Keski's shoulder, "The rest of the guild doesn't know. Ryke would never shut up if he knew your fur was gold." She shuddered. "And that's a fate I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy…"

"See, Keski?" Bolt said, smiling at him, "I told you everything's alright!"

"Actually, you didn't…" Keski muttered. He looked around at each of the Starchasers. "So…my fur means nothing to you then?" They shook their heads. Keski visibly relaxed, let himself fall back, and slid down the wall into a sitting position. "That's a relief…"

Emerald beamed at him. "Well good then. Now you need more rest. You're suffering from aura deprivation and you'll be weak for the next few days."

"Well, I did use a lot of it fighting the cacturne…" Keski muttered as an explanation.

"Yes, we know," the gardevoir said, offering him a hand and pulling him to his feet, "Now, we still have work to do. There is always more work to do, especially with the town is such disarray. But if you want a book or a meal, just send Bolt up and someone will get it for you."

"I will, thanks," Keski responded. He took a seat on the edge of the bed and watched Slicer, Mendigo, and Emerald file out. Only Master Majyk remained. A vague sense of apprehension came over Keski. The alakazam cleared his throat. "Yes?" the lucario asked.

"The others do not know about you. They truly think your fur is the only thing that sets you apart. But I know now who you are, Keski. And I can't say I'm exactly pleased," Majyk said. A stab of fear went through the young lucario. "We are a rather localized community here. We don't bother with the outside world much. But I take a greater interest than most because my long life has taught me that even events in distant lands can affect us here."

Bolt leapt off the foot of the bed and in between Keski and Majyk. Sparks flowed across his fur and he adopted a determined expression. "Keski's my friend! I won't let you hurt him!" he declared.

"My dear jolteon," Majyk said, "When did I ever say that? I merely wished to give you a bit of advice and a warning." He cleared his throat. "Keski, you played an integral role in defending this town. I have observed you closely these past few weeks and I can only say that you appear to have changed dramatically from the stories I have heard told about you. Now, I know about Northmarch and the hundred-year war it waged on the dark-types and I know about your part in ending it. So I would imagine that you are rather uncomfortable with seeing them accepted into society here. But rest assured, they are not the evil monsters you were taught to believe and if I discover you trying to kill any, I will lock you up myself. Are we clear?"

Keski nodded wordlessly. The master of the Starchaser Guild sighed and approached him. "You thought you were a hero, didn't you? But then, you disappeared and somehow ended up on Bolt's home, didn't you?" Keski nodded again. "And there, you learned the truth of your actions and now they torment you. Am I correct?"

The lucario stared at him, bewildered, but then he looked down. Tears appeared in his eyes and he said, "Yes…"

Majyk regarded him silently for a moment. "I am so very sorry…"

Keski tensed. "Thanks…" He sighed. "By the way, a zoroark came in here claiming to be Shadow. Is that true?"

"Yes," Majyk said, "And if you think your past is unsavory, then his is downright evil."

A few minutes later, Bolt and Keski were alone. The lucario sat silently, wrapped up in his own, dismal thoughts. Bolt watched him worriedly. "You going to be okay?" he asked.

"He knows…" Keski said softly, "Bolt, he knows who I really am! I knew I shouldn't have left! I knew I should have stayed on the island!" He leapt to his feet and began pacing rapidly back and forth. "The world hasn't forgotten me after all. Why did I come?! Why did I…" He whirled and punched the wall, leaving a small spider-web of cracks. "I'M AN IDIOT!"

"Dad asked you to keep an eye on me," Bolt answered, "And if you're an idiot, what am I?"

"A moron."

"What's the difference?"

"The spelling."

"But you're smarter than me!"

"Bolt, just…stop please." Keski took a deep breath. "I just need to think…"

"Then stop working yourself up into a frenzy, sit down, and think," Bolt suggested. Keski glared at him. "Sit," Bolt said insistently. Keski rolled his eyes and sat. "Now, this is just like when Dad and I found you on the beach. Did Lady Ho-Oh, Entei, Suicune, or Dad destroy you? No. They didn't. And I'm pretty sure that Majyk and the others won't either."

"I'm not afraid of that," Keski replied.

"Then what _are _you afraid of?" Bolt asked, a little exasperated.

Keski hesitated, seeking the best way to answer. "I guess I'm afraid of my past catching up with me," he admitted, "It's just…I left it behind. But it…well, it literally blacks out the light. Every time someone realizes who I am, the chance of it catching me goes up."

"Hey! I'll be here with you, no matter what happens!" Bolt said cheerfully.

"I'm supposed to be protecting you," Keski countered, "Not the other way around."

"But that's what friends are for, Keski," Bolt said, "We'll protect each other! Deal?" He extended his paw with an earnest look.

The lucario smiled and took it. Sure, it didn't solve the problem and he knew thinking about would keep him up at night, but Bolt's eagerness made it hard to not cheer up some. "Deal."

Kachi trudged back to the police station, paw-sore and weary. The work was done for the day and everyone was headed home. He had told Meadow that he had one more thing to do tonight before he came home. He had to tell Pyre something very important, but it shouldn't take too long so she should go ahead and make dinner. The pikachu sighed. He still had no proof, but, evidence or not, he had decided to at least inform Pyre of his suspicions. If the quilava required proof, then he would fall back on his original plan and get him some.

He walked in just as the quilava police chief was haphazardly shoving the various papers on his desk into whatever drawer he thought they were supposed to go in. At the sound of the opening door, he looked up sharply but then relaxed when he saw who it was. "Oh, I was afraid you were Cascade."

"Sorry to disappoint," Kachi said with a grin, "I'm not exactly as pretty as she is, am I?"

The quilava barked out a short laugh. "Nope. Not at all. So what can I do for you?" he asked, "Hope it's quick though. I can hear my bed calling me from here."

Kachi raised an eyebrow. "Anyone else in it?"

"Funny…" Pyre muttered, "Anyway, what's up?"

"Um," Kachi rubbed the back of his head nervously, "See the thing is…" He took a deep breath and said very quickly, "I think I know who's behind the recent attacks."

Pyre stared at him for a long moment. "Well?"

"Uh, right!" Kachi cleared his throat. "Lord Sable. I overheard him talking to himself during the battle. It seems he's connected to the attacks somehow. Maybe he even instigated them."

"Lord Sable?" Pyre repeated, "The visitor from the capitol?" Kachi nodded, biting his lip. The quilava's stared at him. "What possible motive could he have?"

"I'm not sure, but I think that the Starchasers are involved somehow. Maybe he's one of their enemies? Maybe he's a crime boss and they busted one of his operations?"

The quilava's eyes hardened. "Not too far-fetched, considering some of the stories I've heard about what goes on in the capitol…" He leaned back and sighed. "Do you have evidence?"

"No…" Kachi said under his breath.

"Then currently, there is nothing we can do," Pyre said, "However…if you were to find any, then we could arrest him. Of course, the implications of arresting the director of the Royal Press would be drastic, so it would have to be conclusive." Kachi nodded glumly. "Oh, and by the way, we need someone to deliver several files to Lord Sable. Maybe you would consider doing it? It might give you a chance to…make sure that we do not have a criminal among us."

Kachi blinked. "Now?"

"Yes."

"I don't know. Meadow is making dinner."

"Then you better hope you find evidence quickly."

"Is that an order?" Kachi asked.

"No," Pyre replied, "But, if he is responsible, we cannot afford to let him get away with it. And we must act quickly to stop him too."

The pikachu sighed and nodded. "Alright, where is the file?"

About a half hour later, he was standing outside the sableye's guest quarters. Jasper had been very nervous when he opened the door and when Kachi had mentioned Lord Sable the persian had practically jumped out of his fur. The pikachu approached the door warily, hesitating to knock. Steeling his nerves, he rapped three times on the carved wood. There was no response. With more confidence, he pushed it open and entered a sort of sitting room. Muffled voices came from the back, where another door led to the bedroom. Curious, he approached and placed one ear against it.

"Any word from the Management, Roxy?" he heard Lord Sable ask.

"Yes, Lord Sable! The Director will be calling you tonight."

"When?"

"Soon."

"I wonder what he wants," Lord Sable mused, "Probably going to berate me for getting two of his precious test subjects killed. Eh, who cares? Their Reprogramming was sloppy anyway." There was a pause. "Well, I guess it'll be a good time to discuss Phase Two with him. There are still some details that need ironing out. Arresting an entire guild takes a large amount of troops, after all." He laughed to himself as if that was a joke. There was a humming, buzzing sound that Kachi could not identify. "There he is now. Hand me the communicator, Roxy."

"Here you are, Lord Sable!"

"Thanks, doll." There was a slight pause. "Sable here. Of course it's you, you don't have to say it. Wastes time and I deplore waste. By the way, how are things in space? What? Now _I'm_ wasting time? Yeah, I guess that true. Straight to business then?"

Kachi took a step away from the door. This was all very interesting, but he couldn't take a conversation with him and show it to Pyre. If they were going to be talking with someone in there, then now was the perfect time to look around. He moved toward the desk and quietly opened the first drawer. Immediately, he found something that struck his interest. A large, stuffed envelope labeled 'Progress Report: Fall of the Thirteenth year'. Silently, he took it out, opened it, and began reading.

_As of this quarter, we have successful trained forty scientists in the use of the old human tech we have recovered. The process of Reprogramming is steadily being refined. Already we have improved its effectiveness above the levels the humans could accomplish. All positive emotions have been suppressed, but we are still not entirely satisfied. Too much of the subject's original personality remains, hampering their effectiveness by approximately forty percent. It also leaves open the possibility of returning them to their previous state. When this has occurred, the subjects sometimes received large boosts in power and were very resistant to an additional Reprogramming. They had to be put down._

Kachi skimmed over the rest of the report, learning several interesting things but nothing that tied directly to Lord Sable or the attacks. At least, not until the very end. A small note at the bottom that he almost disregarded sent a shudder down his spine.

_Our orbiting facility remains undetected as of yet, though something will have to be done about Rayquaza shortly. Also, two of the Mistress's seven servants have already crossed over. One has merged with a bandit chief in the eastern hills. The other has found a prominent lord in the Seafoam Empire named Lord Sable. To all operatives receiving this, their missions take precedence over any other concerns for they alone have the power to defeat the Sealbearers, free our Mistress, and bring about the Day of Burning Skies._

_All hail the Queen of Air and Darkness!_

"The Day of Burning Skies?" Kachi muttered, "What's that?" There was a loud shout from inside the bedroom and he jumped. Quickly, he stuffed the paper back in the file, stored it away, and stepped out from behind the desk. After a few moments of acting inconspicuous, nothing happened. The door remained closed. So, curious, he once again approached it and eavesdropped.

"Sure thing," Lord Sable said, "Sorry about that outburst a second ago. Greed is a bit of a delicate issue for me. Yes, I know you understand. Uh-huh. Whatever. I'll read it the second this conversation ends. Yeah, bye." Another short pause. "Roxy, did a courier bring anything today?"

"Oh, yes! Let's see, it's somewhere over here. Let me go get it."

Alarmed, Kachi stepped away from the door and behind a curtain. The bedroom door opened and an emolga exited, humming happily to herself. She picked a sealed enveloped off the desk, turned around, and walked right back to Sable's room. She didn't even suspect that Kachi was watching her warily. The pikachu waited a minute and then scurried back to the door just in time to hear Lord Sable shout.

"GOLD?! WHAT DOES THIS MEAN HE HAD GOLD FUR?!"

"Who has gold fur?" Roxy asked, alarmed at Sable's sudden outburst.

"THAT BLASTED LUCARIO WHO KILLED THE CACTURNE, THAT'S WHO!"

"What, is that what the report says?" Roxy asked with a meek voice.

"Yes, yes it does," Sable said, voice tense but calming down, "This, this is the end battle report. Since this was the first official field test, both the cacturne and the hariyama were linked up to a monitoring system. Now, the cacturne's was mostly destroyed when it regenerated, but the mental uplink was intact. Looks like our little friend Keski's black fur is dyed and the rain washed it away. The cacturne's last thoughts were about the gold-furred lucario it was fighting." He chuckled darkly. "The Golden Demon, right here under my nose. Arceus must not be trying very hard to win if he's giving me this sort of opportunity!"

"Golden Demon, Lord Sable?" Roxy asked.

"Tch, I forget how little people in the Seafoam Empire care about the outside world sometimes," Sable said, "Allow me to give you the short version, my dear assistant. Not too many years ago, the two kingdoms of Northmarch and Midnight were at war. Northmarch was ruled by a rather zealous group of nobles who believed that the Midnight Kingdom deserved to be wiped off the map. So, they mounted a crusade. It stagnated and for several years the fightin just dragged on and on with no end in sight. Then, out of nowhere, the forces of Northmarch found a new leader: a lucario with golden fur.

"He was absolutely a monster. Nothing they did could stop him. They'd hit him again and again with everything they had and he'd just stand back up, howl at them, and charge right back into battle, stronger than ever. In Northmarch he was called the 'Golden Saint' because they believed his power was a blessing from Arceus himself, a sign that they were destined to win. But in the Midnight Kingdom, he was known as the Golden Demon."

"What happened to him?" Roxy asked.

"No one knows," Sable replied with a mysterious tone, "He disappeared shortly after the war was won. Northmarch conquered the Midnight Kingdom, driving the Dark-types that lived there into the mountains. But no one knew where the gold-furred beast disappeared to. Until now, of course. And now, we're going to catch him! Oh, with that kind of power under my command, no one will be able to deny me anything I want!" Sable cackled in wicked delight. "Imagine being able to ignore any wounds and fight on! Once we Reprogram him, he will be truly unstoppable!"

Kachi backed away from the door slowly, eyes wide. Just what had he gotten himself into? The human technology was insane enough, but at least that made sense. Sure, everyone knew of the old human structures that dotted the landscape and a few archeologists were obsessed with figuring out how the stuff worked. But to most, humans were practically a legend and only a few, long-lived Pokémon remembered the time when they had walked the earth! And what was this about Keski? The Northmarch Crusade?! That had always seemed so far away and he'd never paid much attention to it. But now it appeared he should have paid more! Kachi shook his head to clear it. The world was quickly coming apart around him and this was not the ideal location to try and piece it back together.

He turned back to the desk. He had to get some evidence. He glanced at the case file he was supposed to deliver. It probably wasn't such a good idea anymore. Lord Sable didn't need more information on Keski. The desk. Everything he needed was there in the desk. Just take the files and run. Don't look back. Run!

Heart hammering, the pikachu scampered back to the desk and slid open the drawer again. He scanned the papers there, looking for the file he had shoved back in there. In his rush, he didn't notice all the noise he was making or the bedroom door slowly open and two eyes like gemstones peer out.

"There you are," Kachi said in triumph, yanking the file out of the drawer. He stepped around the furniture and made for the door, but Sable's voice pulled him up short.

"Found what you were looking for, officer?" Lord Sable called, "I was unaware the police made a habit of searching through private files out here." Kachi nearly jumped out of his fur. He paled, turning as white as a ghost. "Oh I'm sorry," Sable said indolently, "Am I interrupting?"

"Ah, I, uh, hi!" Kachi stammered, breaking out in a cold sweat. He tried to force a smile onto his face. "I was just…delivering something. Um, where did I put it? One sec. I think it's in the hall. I'll be right back…"

Lord Sable grinned at him like a predator does to its prey. "Oh why bother lying? A good spy knows when he's been caught. Let's put aside the annoying little bit where you prove just how bad a liar you are, hmm? Now, I believe that there belongs to me." He held out his hand for the file. "If you would be so kind…" Reluctantly, Kachi handed it back to him. "Now…what to do with you? I don't suppose you would tell me everything you overheard or read, would you?" Kachi shook his head. "I didn't think so."

Kachi eyes flicked around the room, looking for an exit. The emolga stood in the door to the bedroom and watched the exchange with a curious expression. He might be able to make a dash for the hall, depending upon how fast Lord Sable was. He couldn't be that fast, could he? Certainly a pikachu could beat a sableye any day, right? Mind made up, Kachi began edging in that direction.

"Tell me, though, what did you plan to do after you had stolen this, hmm?" Sable asked, "And don't bother trying to deceive me. It would just insult me."

Kachi took a deep breath and weighed his options. Talking meant more time until he turned hostile, which meant more time to prepare to run. So, he told him. "I heard you on the roof the night of the battle. I know you had something to do with the attacks!"

Understanding flooded Sable's eyes. "But you needed proof. I see. How…interesting. And what did you deduce, oh intrepid officer?"

Kachi's eyes hardened. "That you are part of something much larger than just this town and that it needs to be stopped."

Sable laughed. "Oh, I like you! You were scared at first, but now that you're face to face with the danger you speak boldly and without reservation! I could use underlings like you. Interested?"

Kachi shook his head. "No."

"Hmph. And why not?"

"You just orchestrated several attacks on the people I dedicated my like to defend!" Kachi snapped. He stepped forward, cheeks sparking. He forgot his fear, even if only for a moment. At last he had the answer. He had someone he could hold responsible for the senseless violence that he had seen. His righteous anger gave him strength. "You hurt my friends, friends I've had since childhood! You terrorized this entire community and _killed_ several members of it! And that's not even the worst part! Because of you, I had to hug my little sister and watch her walk away crying because she and I might never see each other again!"

"And what if I offered to make sure that this entire town was spared from any future involvement in our plans in exchange for your service?" Lord Sable asked, a bemused smile on his face.

"I wouldn't be able to trust you. Besides, I trust Master Majyk. He's the real leader of this town and he can protect us much better than any promise from you can," Kachi said defiantly.

"And if I threatened to destroy this town? To kill them all?"

"Then I suppose I better expose you for what you are before you have the chance, now, shouldn't I?" Kachi said icily. He held out his paw. "I changed my mind. I think I'll be taking that file with me now."

Sable stared blankly at him for a long moment. "Well now, this is a surprise," he muttered, "So you are trying to be the one who cannot be bought? Do you know how rare this is? Do you know how _rare_ it is that I do _not_ get what I want?" A flash of anger passed across his face. "One in a million! One in one _three-times-damned million_!"

"And what is it that you want?" Kachi asked, crossing his arms and glaring.

"What do I…? What do I…? Excuse me a second." Lord Sable turned around, threw his head back, and laughed a crazy, unhinged cackle. Kachi's bravery withered somewhat, mixing with caution once more. "What do I want?" Sable repeated in a hiss, turning slightly to leer at the pikachu. "What _don't_ I want?! I want it all! Life! Money! Power! I want the empire at my feet! Males, females, children of all species! I want them all to be mine! I want…I want…I want the _world_ and everything in it!"

Kachi took a step back. "Just who do you think you are?"

"I know who I am!" Sable chuckled, "I am GREED! The hunger, the craving for everything! I want it, I want it! And I will not stop until I have it! I will have everything!" A ghastly, purple light enveloped his claws and chuckled. "But…like you, there are some things I can't have. So…anything I can't possess…" He took a step forward. "I will DESTROY!"

He leapt across the room as if shot from a cannon, claws aglow with deadly energy. Kachi yelped in surprise and stumbled backwards, releasing a small jolt of electricity more on instinct than anything else. It struck Lord Sable head on and he went limp in mid-air. Instantly paralyzed, he tumbled to the ground in a heap. His claws grazed Kachi's leg, leaving a shallow gash, but he lay unmoving on the floor. Alarmed, Roxy made a dash at the pikachu, but he swatted her aside with his tail, seized the file of evidence in his mouth, and ran for the exit. A trail of blood ran down his leg, but he ignored the pain and just focused on getting out.

Instead of pursuing him, Roxy tended to Lord Sable and managed to bring him out of the paralysis relatively quickly. However, instead of being upset, he seemed almost pleased. "Roxy," he said with a reassuring, soothing smile, "Get me a pictures of everyone he knows and the Shift orb Medi provided for us. I'm going hunting."

Kachi ran through the streets on all fours. First priority, get the file to Pyre. The more people knew about this the less chance of being individually targeted. Sure, it was great and all to speak bravely, but he really had no desire to die today. Meadow would be left all alone.

He froze. Meadow! Night had fallen and she was all alone at the house! What if, while he was gone, Sable kidnapped her! He took a deep breath. Alright, calm down, calm down. New first priortity: get home, grab Meadow, then take her and the evidence down to the police station. Someone had to be on duty there, even if Pyre and Cascade were gone for the day. They could both be safe there.

He changed paths, headed for home. The gash on his leg began to sting. With all the mud and grime left around from the cleanup, he wouldn't be surprised if it became infected, but he'd have to deal with that later. If only it wasn't slowing him down so much.

He gasped as a flash of pain travelled up it and lit up his chest like fire. Was this poison? But the wound looked fine. It was just a clean cut! However, ghosts were known for being masters of curses, poisons, confusion, and other nasty tricks, and that was just the friendly ones! A pecha berry, he had a pecha berry with his emergency supplies. If it was poison, that should stave it off long enough for him to get better treatment.

A few blocks from home he stumbled and fell on his face. His leg burned with fatigue. It wasn't much like poison anymore but something else. "Maybe this is how Casade felt…when she was hit by that…hariyama…" he muttered to himself through gritted teeth. He might have given up right then and lain in the street, but then Meadow's face flashed before his mind. Sable couldn't get to her first. He had to beat him!

With every ounce of his remaining strength, he rose to his feet. Dragging his wounded leg behind him, he walked slowly but with intense purpose toward his house. The door was shut, the lights were on, and there was no sign of anyone having forced their way in. He breathed a sigh of relief and mounted the first step, but Meadow's voice brought him up short.

"Big brother?" she called. Kachi looked left sharply. There she was, peering around the corner of the house with a frightened expression on her face. "Don't go in. They're inside the house looking for something."

Kachi almost sobbed in relief. He staggered over to where she was. "There you are," he said, a warm smile on his face. She took a step back, but he grabbed her paw. "Come on, we're leaving. We'll be safe at the police station."

"Brother! You're hurt!" she said in alarm.

"Yes, I know," the pikachu replied, "We'll take care of it when we get to safety!"

"Brother, wait!" Meadow cried. Kachi turned and she held out her arms for a hug. "Tell me it's going to be alright?"

Kachi took a deep breath and wrapped his arms around her. "It's okay Meadow," he said softly. She smiled at him, but something about it was off. Shrugging it off, Kachi stroked her head. "It will be al-"

A fiery pain lit up his throat. He choked suddenly and staggered backwards, clutching at it. His paws came away soaked in red. He couldn't breathe. His throat made strange, gurgling noises. Shock and confusion fell over his face. Meadow's paws had long, sharp nails like claws on them and they were covered in blood. _His_ blood.

He stumbled backwards and fell over. His head struck the wooden wall and the world began to darken. Meadow strode over to him, that same grin on her face. She pried the file of evidence out of his grip and dangled it over his head. "I'll take this, thank you very much," she crooned.

"Meadow…" Kachi managed to choke out, "Why…?"

"Shh, sleep," the pichu said. Kachi reached one paw out toward her but fell back. Shadows swam before his eyes. She leaned over and nuzzled his face one last time.

"Meadow…" he croaked, "I…lo…"

"Goodbye, Officer Kachi," she said. Then he felt a stabbing pain in his chest and gasped. Then, after one last effort to hang on, his head fell back, his eyes glassed over, and he knew no more.

Instantly, Meadow's form dissolved. In her place stood Lord Sable, grinning like a maniac. He examined his prize. There was a little bit of blood on the stolen file, but he could always get another copy. The important thing was that he had once again achieved victory. He looked down at his victim and laughed softly. "And so it shall be with all who oppose me," he muttered, "Hmm, but I still have a bit of the Shift Orb's power left and I can't let myself be seen near this location. I believe it is time to begin Phase Two."

His form blurred, changing into that of a female weavile. It didn't look exactly like Medi, but it was close enough to fool anyone in the dark. Satisfied with his disguise, he set off into the dark, headed back to Jasper's residence for a hot bath and good dinner.

Meadow opened the front door of the house she and her brother shared. Had those been people she had heard? Was Kachi home? He was rather late already. His dinner was cold. She huffed in annoyance. He'd promised that he would be home soon! He promised! She'd even tried to bake him a cake. He probably didn't remember, but this was the anniversary of the day he'd become a police officer. So, with all the bad stuff that had been happening, she figured he could use something to cheer him up.

She peered around nervously and shivered. It was dark tonight. Hopefully he'd come home soon…

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted his yellow fur in the alley by the side of their house. She let out a relieved sigh. "There you are!" she said cheerfully, bounding toward him, "What are you doing in the…?"

She froze, unable to process what she was seeing. Sightless eyes stared back at her and the ground was washed red.

Her scream tore the night asunder.


	10. Chapter 10: Lord Sable Triumphant!

**And here comes another chapter! It's still not quite where I would like it to be, but I've already rewritten the entire thing twice and if I try again I'll end up never being satisfied with it. Which means it will never get published. So, as always, leave your thoughts below and enjoy!**

Chapter 10:

Lord Sable Triumphant!

_"__Objection!" Phoenix Wright, Ace Attorney_

Pyre paced agitatedly back and forth in front of his desk. It was late, almost morning in fact, but he'd given up on sleep. He clenched his paws into fists. Kachi, dead! Murdered right outside his house! And Meadow, poor Meadow, had found him like that, throat slit and a gaping hole in his chest! It was enough to turn an adult's stomach, so who knew what it had done to her?

Kachi's bloody, blue sash lay on his desk, the police badge still pinned to it. His body already lay in the basement, ready for the coroner. It was only a formality, though. It was pretty obvious how he'd died. Plus, Pyre was already pretty darn sure who the murderer was.

"I'm going to roast that bastard alive," the quilava growled darkly.

"He's a ghost, sir," Cascade countered.

"I'll roast him undead, then!" Pyre snapped, "It'll give him a preview of the fire that will scorch him for all eternity when he goes back to the grave!"

Cascade sighed and rose from her seat. She placed an authoritative paw on his shoulder, stopping his frantic pacing. "How do you know it was him?"

"I sent Kachi to investigate him," Pyre said, "I sent him there…" He paused, a thought striking him. "Oh Arceus, I…I sent him to his death!"

"Sir…" Cascade sighed, "Please calm down."

"I sent my best friend to his death!" Pyre shouted, "Like hell I'm going to calm down!" Flames sprouted from his neck and lower back. "If you don't care about that, then you can just leave! I'm going to burn him to ashes! I won't let him get away with murder!"

Pyre's ranting ceased when he found himself staring right at the sharpened edge of Cascade's scallop. "Don't. You. _Dare_ say that! I do care! Kachi was my friend too, _sir_. I just don't want _more _of us to die. Charging in blindly without knowing exactly who we are dealing with is more than likely just going to get you killed." Cascade's paw dropped to her side. Her voice trembled with barely contained emotion. "I'm sorry sir, but I don't want to be burying you beside him."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Pyre snapped, "Sit here on our tails and cry?! I'm the one who sent him! I'm the one who's responsible for his death! Am I crying, Lieutenant?!"

"No sir," Cascade said as she turned sharply, "But I don't want to start."

Pyre took a deep, calming breath, gathering himself. "Alright, I won't turn vigilante. I'll talk to the Starchasers later today. Maybe together we can turn something up that will nail this freak."

"Sir, is there even a slight possibility it wasn't Lord Sable?" Cascade asked.

Pyre took a deep breath. "Yes. Yes there is. But I have no doubt that he is involved somehow. It's all just too convenient."

There was a knock at the door and they both turned. Meadow peeked her head in. Her eyes were red from crying and her voice was hoarse, but for the moment at least she was keeping it together. "Um, excuse me? I just remembered something… Brother said he had something important to do when he left. I don't know if it got done or not, but it sounded important…Did he…did he finish it?"

Cascade and Pyre exchanged somber glances. A silent communication passed between them. Then, they went over and knelt down beside Meadow. "No, sweetie," Pyre said, "But we're going to finish it for him, alright?"

Meadow nodded. "I have…I have another question."

Pyre smiled. "Yes?"

"When will he be better?"

The two officers froze. Cascade cleared her throat hesitantly. "Meadow…he's dead. He's, well…he's never going to get better."

Meadow stared at her, not comprehendingly. "But…Cotton and Medi…can't they heal him?"

Pyre shook his head sadly. "No. Only Arceus could do that now…" Tears welled up in Meadow's eyes. "I know, sweetie, I know…" Pyre said softly. He held out his forepaws, offering her a hug, and she dashed into his embrace. Cascade silently came up behind her and joined in. Meadow began to sob.

"It's okay," Cascade said soothingly, "We'll be here. We'll protect you."

Pyre's eyes hardened. Oh, he would do more than that. He would make sure that the monster that killed her brother paid.

Cascade raised her head and frowned. The sound of loud voices came muffled to her ears from outside. "Do you hear that?" she asked.

"Some sort of commotion in the hall," Pyre said. They released Meadow and stepped between her and the door. "Go hide, sweetie. We'll be right back."

Cascade drew her scalchops and stepped up to the door. Pyre grabbed the door handle and they exchanged a nod. "On three," he said, "One, two…"

The door opened inwards, slamming into his nose and knocking him flat on his tail. In strode a tall, stern-faced manetric wearing a blue police sash and a diamond badge. Cascade immediately dropped her stance, though her posture did not relax, and sheathed her scalchops. She gave the newcomer a salute which he acknowledged with a nod. Pyre rose slowly and glared.

"At ease," the manetric said to Cascade. He addressed Pyre. "So you're the commander around here, am I right?"

"Yes…" Pyre replied gruffly. He peered around the intruder and saw several other members of his staff looking at him anxiously. "What is all this about?"

"I am Commander Fulmine from Central Command," he answered, "We've received some rather disturbing reports of events out here and I've been sent to assess the situation and assist in any way I can."

Pyre stiffened. "Central Command, eh?" He chuckled. "And here I thought you all just sat around with your tails stuck firmly up your…" Cascade nudged him. Hard. "I mean, good to see you all are finally taking an interest in the border towns."

Fulmine gave him a critical look. "Chief," he said with a hint of distaste, "If it is convenient, I wish to be brought up to speed on the events that have transpired here recently."

"Go talk to Durg down in Records, then," Pyre replied, "We're in the middle of a murder investigation."

"Be that as it may," Fulmine said patiently, "I would think that the attacks would take precedence over a simple murder."

Pyre's paws clenched into fists. "Murder is murder, Commander, no matter who is the victim." Fulmine looked unconvinced.

"He was an officer," Cascade interjected.

"Ah," the manetric said, "Now I understand. A close friend then?" Pyre and Cascade nodded. "I understand, but I must insist that you set your personal feelings aside for now and remember your duty."

"Which is what exactly?" Pyre said coldly.

The manetric drew himself up. "I am quite frankly stunned by the cold reception I am receiving," he said, "Your duty is to the emperor, of course! If there is a serious threat to the sanctity of his realm here, you are expected to help in any way you can regardless of whether it hinders your personal vendetta or not."

"We believe the murderer is connected with the attacks," Cascade mentioned quietly.

"Well then, why didn't you say so?!" Fulmine said in exasperation, "That changes everything! Full speed ahead! I shall begin my investigation immediately."

With that, he disappeared as abruptly as he had arrived.

"He seems very…proper," Pyre muttered.

"Indeed," Cascade agreed, "At least the capitol is getting news of what is happening out here though. That is something we can be grateful for."

Pyre took a deep, calming breath. "I suppose you're right," he said, "I just hope he doesn't get in the way…"

* * *

Lord Sable woke up in a very good mood. The sun shone brightly through the windows of his room and made all the trinkets and silver pieces there glitter and gleam. He rose and stretched with a contented sigh. Memories of the previous night came to his mind and he smiled. Phase two was moving right along. Well, it should be. There were a few details left to nail down, but assuming his subordinates in the Capitol had followed his instructions, he would be prepared for anything that happened.

"Roxy?" he called. The door opened and she appeared. "Ah, there you are. Any messages arrive in the night?"

"Well, no messages per se…" she answered, "But, um, a member of the Imperial Police showed up this morning. Apparently, they've received reports of what has been going on here…"

Sable's eyes narrowed. "Who?"

"Fulmine, sir."

"Oh, him," Sable said with a shrug, "No worries then. He's safely on our side, even though he doesn't quite know what our 'side' is. His loyalty to the Empire blinds him."

"He wanted to see you, sir," Roxy informed him, "As soon as possible."

"Oh, but of course," Sable said, nodding, "Tell him I can see him around, oh, noon."

"It's…almost noon now, sir."

"Oh really? Ha! I must have slept in! Haven't done that in years." Sable sighed contentedly. "Well, dinner then! Hmm, let's see, what will I say to him? 'I fully support your efforts, come to me with whatever you find' maybe? That would allow me to monitor their progress. It won't take much effort to turn up the clues I left for them to find, and once Medi is implicated it won't be long before the entire Starchaser Guild is safely behind bars. This makes my job even easier! Pyre never would have really believed that Magyk was behind it anyway." Roxy nodded and smiled weakly. "Hey," Sable said in a slightly concerned tone, "You feeling alright? You don't look well…"

Roxy gulped nervously before replying. "I'm fine, Lord Sable!"

The sableye looked at her critically. "Is something wrong then?"

Roxy shook her head. "No sir," she stammered, "Just…"

"Yes?" Sable pressed, raising what passed for an eyebrow.

She took a deep breath. "It's just…that business with Kachi and all, it frightened me a bit."

"Oh? That?" Sable asked with a languid tone, "I actually thought it was a rather nice release of some of my pent up emotions."

"That's what s frightened me…" Roxy muttered.

"Oh come now…" Sable sighed and approached her. She looked up in surprise when he offered her his hand. "Tell me, what is it that we are after?"

"Well…everything," Roxy replied.

"And in order to get it, sometimes we have to do things that aren't exactly…savory," Sable explained, "But here, just think of it like this: when the world is mine, as long as you remain faithful to me, you will have more than you can possibly imagine. Isn't that worth a few minor incidents like this?"

Roxy's shoulders slumped. "Yes, Lord Sable…I'm sorry, it's just that he didn't seem all that bad. I'll get over it. I think."

Sable smiled. "That's the ticket, doll. Just keep the end goal in mind and the obstacles in the way won't seem so formidable." Roxy nodded glumly. "So…did anything come in this morning?"

"No sir." Roxy hesitated and marshalled her courage. "May I ask you something?"

Sable blinked in surprise. "Sure thing. Go ahead."

"Would you…would you ever kill me like that?"

Lord Sable chuckled. "You? Never! You're mine, aren't you? I never get rid of anything that belongs to me." Roxy heaved a relieved sigh. "Hmm…that reminds me, we need to have a talk with Medi. We're going to need her help to get that officer's murder pinned on the Starchaser Guild."

For a moment, the room was silent. "And you are absolutely certain that will work?"

"Roxy…" Sable said smugly, "Trust me. By the time Kachi is buried, the fate of the Starchasers will be sealed." A cruel glint entered his eyes. "And then, with Master Majyk safely in my custody, I can destroy the Seal he carries. I don't expect he will survive…"

A shudder ran down Roxy's back.

* * *

"I can't believe it…"

"I know, Bolt."

"He was just…killed like that?"

Keski sighed and put his head down on the pillow. "So they say, yeah."

Bolt looked up at him from by the door. "How do you think everyone taking it?"

"You'd know better than me, but I'd guess not very well…" the lucario replied, "I mean, how do you take something like that? We only knew him for a little while. These people have known him for their entire lives."

Bolt nodded sadly. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. Oh! I forgot! Eona is fully recovered now and Chief Pyre had something to tell everyone! We should probably head up now, if we want to hear it."

Keski sighed and rose. "Well, if _I_ ever find the one who did it…" He let the thought hang. "By the way, did I miss a spot with my dye?"

"Nope, all good."

"Then…let's go see what Pyre knows."

Together, they ascended to the first floor and saw what had been an orderly meeting. Any semblance of that had disappeared, however, with the arrival of Eona. The latias floated in the middle of the room talking passionately with Pyre and Majyk. He arms gesticulated wildly and reflected her deep emotion. "I'm fine!" she insisted, "Now please, let me help!"

"I'm sorry," Majyk said, "But it's too dangerous, even for you."

Eona drew herself up indignantly. "Well _excuse _me!" she said, "But I _am_ a Legendary Pokémon! Your Officer Kachi seemed like a nice person and it's my responsibility as a representative of Arceus to bring his murderer to justice!"

"And what of your brother?" Majyk asked.

Eona hesitated. "I…don't know." She looked over at Chief Pyre. "You said Lord Sable might be connected to Lord Rayquaza?"

Pyre grimaced. "Yes. Kachi was investigating his…connection before he was murdered."

She looked back at Majyk, satisfied. "There you go. I think I would be better off helping you all catch him and then asking him a few pointed questions than I would just running off with absolutely no idea what I'm doing or where to look, don't you?"

Majyk smiled slightly. "You do make a convincing argument. We welcome your help, then."

"Keski?" Bolt whispered.

"Yes?"

"Who's Lord Sable?"

Medi appeared beside them. "A visiting noble from the capitol," she said with a slight growl in her voice, "I don't like him."

Bolt tilted his head to the side. "Why not?"

Medi opened her mouth, shut it again, and walked off muttering rude things under her breath. Bolt made as if to follow her, but Keski grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.

"Just let her be," he said with an edge of nervousness in his voice, "No need to take risks."

"She's not a risk," Bolt protested, a confused look on his face. Keski was about to reply, but then he saw Master Majyk watching him with a critical eye and winced.

"Look," he said, "Do me a favor and…just stay away from her if you can."

"Okay…" Bolt said hesitantly, "If you say so…" He wrinkled his nose in thought. "Hmm…I know! See you later, Keski!"

"Sure, Bolt," Keski said, not really paying attention. He glanced over at Master Majyk in what he thought was a surreptitious manner. The guildmaster, however, was already deep in conversation with Pyre, Emerald, and Eona. When he looked back, Bolt was already gone. Keski's eyes widened and he glanced around worriedly. "Bolt! Where are-"

A heavy weight landed on his shoulders as black and blue-furred arms and legs wrapped around his head. "Keski! You're up!" Ryke yelled right in his ear. Keski growled in annoyance and tilted his head up in to glare at him. The riolu just grinned. "Hi!"

"Hi," Keski grunted, "Did you see where Bolt went?"

Ryke scratched his chin and looked at the ceiling, thinking. "Um…I think he ran out the front door…"

Keski groaned and slapped a paw to his forehead, almost hitting Ryke in the process. "Of course he did…" he muttered, "Well I'm pretty sure he'll turn up again, one way or another. And if he gets us into even more trouble…"

* * *

Bolt trotted right up to the front door of the Jasper's mansion and pulled the bell-cord. He hummed to himself and fidgeted a bit, waiting for someone to come open the door for him. From the other side, a nervous voice called, "Who's there?"

"Hi!" Bolt called, "My name is Bolt! I'm here to see Lord Sable. Is he in?"

"Lord Sable?" the voice stammered, "Ah, yes, quite. Give me a moment to get the door open, good sir." Bolt waited patiently as the person behind the door undid whatever locks there were. It opened abruptly and a fat persian peered out at him. They stared at each other for a moment. The cat's eyes narrowed. "Now hold on," he said, "You're that jolteon! The one who didn't have entrance papers!"

"Yep!" Bolt replied and gave him a smile, "That's me! And you are?"

"I'm…well, Jasper…" The cat sighed. "So you're wrapped up in Sable's scheme then? I should have guessed… The attacks only started after you arrived. I guess it's fairly obvious that you had something to do with them."

"Uh…" Bolt cocked his head to the side in confusion. "I think you have the wrong idea. I'm here to ask about Kachi's murder."

Jasper's face went blank. "I know nothing about that."

"No, I want to talk to Lord Sable and see what he knows about it," Bolt explained, a little frustrated. Slowly, the mayor's expression went from one of schooled indifference to confusion and then to alarm.

"Don't," he said, "Just…turn around. Have nothing to do with that sableye."

Bolt's smile became forced. "I'll be fine. My dad told me that I have a knack for getting out of trouble, though he also said I have a knack for getting into it…"

Jasper hesitated. With a sigh, he stepped away from the door and allowed Bolt to enter. "In that case, if you would carry a message to Pyre."

"Sure!" Bolt said cheerfully.

"Tell him to be _very_ cautious," Jasper said, "Tell him our rivalry is nothing compared to this. Tell him to…just tell him not to be a fool."

Bolt blinked in confusion. "Okay, I'll tell him. May I see Lord Sable now?"

"He's in the guest quarters," Jasper replied with a slight hiss, "That way."

"Thanks!" Bolt dashed off in the indicated direction, took a wrong turn, took another wrong turn, took a third wrong turn and ended up finding the place anyway. He hummed to himself as he approached the door, but as he approached a wave of nausea struck him like a sucker punch to the stomach. He stumbled and fell on his face, retching.

"What…is this?" he groaned. He raised his head. Were waves of darkness coming out of the door? It was revolting! Yes, that was the word. It turned his stomach. What was it? Something hungry, something…evil. He shut his eyes and fell all the way to the ground.

Then, it was gone. Bolt waited for a moment to see if it would come back, but it didn't. He rose to his feet shakily, the queasy feeling in his stomach made it hard to stand upright. "That was…weird," he muttered, "I wonder what that was about."

The door opened. Without bothering to see who was behind it, Bolt immediately stepped through and almost ran into Roxy. She squeaked in alarm and dropped the used dishes she had been carrying. A cup landed on Bolt's head and he let out a yip. "Ow!"

Roxy dropped to her knees and began gathering up the dishes. "How dare you burst in like this! Who do you…?!" She squeaked and dropped the dishes again. "Wait…you're…you're that jolteon!"

Bolt's ears perked up. "You know about me?"

Caught off-guard, Roxy's mouth worked soundlessly for a few moments. "Um, no! Not at all! Who are you?"

"A traveling bard and friend of Kachi's," Bolt replied, "I was wondering if Lord Sable would know anything about his death."

"Um, Lord Sable is a very busy person…"

The door to the bedroom opened suddenly. Lord Sable strode in, an annoyed expression on his face. "What is going on h-" He froze when he saw Bolt, but then a delighted grin spread across his face. "Ah, you. The jolteon traveler. Welcome! Would you care for something to drink, kid?"

"No thanks. I don't fancy waking up in a cage," Bolt replied.

"Well, will you at least tell me what you're doing here?" Sable pressed.

Bolt smiled winningly. "Just a few questions."

Lord Sable laughed. "Roxy, be a doll and clean that up, would you? Then go get yourself something nice from the mayor's kitchen."

Roxy hesitated. "You're certain you want to be alone, my lord?"

"I believe I have demonstrated that I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, thank you," Sable replied with a slight smirk. Roxy nodded and got to work. With a wide gesture, Sable motioned for Bolt to take a seat. "So then, kid, ask away! I'm in a good mood today."

Bolt hopped onto the couch. He took a deep breath. "Did you kill Kachi?"

"Oh come now, surely you can do better than that!" Sable said with a 'tsk', "getting right to the issue at hand spoils all the fun wordplay and verbal fencing. I would have thought that a bard would understand that."

"True…" Bolt said with an apologetic smile, "Sorry, it's just that I'm still a bit disoriented from the dark waves that hit me in the hallway."

Sable looked at him in confusion. "Black waves? What black waves?"

"I don't know!" Bolt replied defensively, "But whatever caused them was hungry for…well, everything."

Sable fell silent, regarding Bolt appraisingly. "Who are you, exactly?"

"I thought you knew," the jolteon replied, "I'm a travelling bard from the Island of Rainbows."

"Mt. Faraway," Sable corrected, "The rumored dwelling place of Ho-Oh and her three guardians. It is only reachable if you have one of her feathers, which act as a compass leading you safely toward it."

A shock ran through Bolt like a thunderbolt. "Well, that's one of describing it, yes…" he admitted.

"By the way, that is a very nice necklace you are wearing…" Sable said. One of Bolt's forepaws immediately covered it. "Is that the feather, perhaps? Tell me, if you were to lose it, would you ever be able to return home?"

Bolt's eyes widened in alarm and Sable's grin turned once more into a vicious, predatory one. But then, the jolteon laughed. "Oh! I get it, this is what you mean by wordplay! Okay then, my turn!" Sable blinked in surprise. "Now, I can already guess that you really did kill Kachi or, if you didn't, you had him killed. Also, you're the only one who doesn't seem concerned about the Monster Pokémon attacks, which is suspicious. Also, I noticed that, when Rayquaza was rampaging throughout the city, the only place he _didn't_ attack was here, where you are. Plus, I have a firsthand account that you are very dangerous."

He grinned. "So tell me, what's so special about Seaside Bluff, hmm? Why are you so bent on attacking it? No, not attacking it. If you wanted it destroyed, you could probably just sit back and watch it burn. You came here to see something, didn't you? What was it?"

Sable glared at him. "You are very perceptive, kid." An eerie, purple glow coated each of his claws. "It might get you into trouble one of these days. You, and that golden-furred lucario friend of yours."

In an instant, Bolt's smile vanished. "You stay away from Keski," he said with a growl.

"Or what?" Sable scoffed, "_You'll_ stop me?! Don't make me laugh!"

"Wow, what a cliché line," Bolt said, clucking his tongue in disappointment, "It would have been better if you had said something like, oh I don't know, anything else."

"Oh really?" Lord Sable said scornfully, "I assure you, I am deadly serious."

"Sorry, I can't take you seriously anymore. Not after a line like that."

Sable ground his teeth together. "You are without a doubt one of the most aggravating individuals I have ever had the distinct _dis_pleasure of talking to."

"Thank you, I try," Bolt said with an elegant bow, "But I warn you, if you try to hurt Keski, you won't like the consequences."

"Well then, how about your sister?" Sable said, "What if I were to capture her?"

"Then…I truly, honestly pity you," Bolt said, "When she gets angry, well, _something_ or _someone's_ going to end up broken."

Sable mused on this for a moment. "You should not have come, jolteon," he said, "Before today, I was perfectly content to leave you alone for a little while longer. Oh, eventually everyone will serve me, but I prioritize who to go after first. But now, you are quickly becoming a threat. I hate threats. But, it doesn't matter. There is nothing you can do to stop me."

Eona's voice spoke suddenly in the jolteon's head. "Bolt! What are you doing here?!" He jumped in alarm.

"Surprised?" Lord Sable said with a grin, "Well, I don't want to reveal too much, but you might want to warn Master Majyk that the Starchasers Guild will soon be no more." Bolt ignored him and looked around in confusion. Sable's expression changed to one of annoyance. "Are you even paying attention to me?"

"Don't speak to me aloud," Eona instructed, "I can read your surface thoughts and remain invisible easily enough. Pretend I'm not here and distract him. I need to look in the desk."

Bolt forced himself to focus on the sableye. "I'm sorry, there was a pretty butterfly. Now what were you saying?"

Sable stared at him suspiciously. "I was telling you about the Starchaser Guild's imminent demise."

"Oh, I don't think that will be a problem," Bolt replied.

Lord Sable took a deep, calming breath. "And why's that?"

"Because you are…perfectly proportional!" Bolt said, "And the Ancient Prophecy of Kaz-ma-dum-Berith says that perfectly proportional people can never defeat the chasers of the stars!"

Sable stared at him. "Ancient Prophecy of who again?"

"Haz-no-doom-Berlitz, founder of ten thousands Fleems, ruler of the great Hoknaz, and conquerer of the Fanfasms, who live in the plain of NULL!"

Sable blinked. Once. "The Plain of Null?"

"No, no, no!" Bolt said, "the plain of NULL! 'Plain' isn't capitalized and you have to shout the word 'null' because it would be written in a shouty sort of script."

"I'm beginning to think you were dropped on your head as a kit…" the sableye replied.

Bolt grinned disarmingly. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see one of the drawers in the desk slide open. He swallowed. "Well, Dad did admit to it a few times. Then he blamed it on Mom, but she zapped him for it. Not that it hurt him, he's so much bigger than she is, you know."

"Right…" Sable muttered, "Of course, everyone knows that right!"

"Yep! So glad you understand!" Bolt said with a pleased nod.

Sable sighed. "That was _sarcasm_!"

"I know!"

"Oh why do I even bother…"

One of the windows slowly began to slide open. Bolt glanced at it, just for a moment, but it was enough to arouse Lord Sable's suspicions. He quickly turned around and froze. An ear-splitting screech filled the room and the sableye jumped backwards. Bolt's fur stood on end and he dove off the couch. "Did you see that?!" Sable demanded.

"See what?" Bolt asked innocently, his voice a bit shaky from the fright.

"The pikachu standing in the…" Sable cut himself short. Bolt stared at him in confusion. "Never mind." The sableye collected himself. "Where were we?"

"I don't remember," Bolt replied.

"And neither do I…" Sable growled in annoyance.

"I have what I came for," Eona said in Bolt's mind, "Find an excuse to get out of here."

"Well then!" Bolt said cheerily, "It's been a delightful and informative conversation, but I'm afraid that it's time for me to leave! Uh, Yuki and Cia were going to teach me…basket weaving."

Lord Sable's confusion reached new heights. "But…you don't have…hands…None of you do! That doesn't even make any sense!"

"Well, I'll be sure to tell them that for you!" Bolt replied, "Anyway, see you!" He made for the door, humming happily.

"Hey, wait! Hold it right there, I'm not finished with you!" Sable ordered. He ground his teeth. "_Stop!_" Angrily, he raised his claws and they glowed purple. "Stop or I will stop you!"

Bolt took one look at them and gulped. "Um, bye!" Electricity crackled across his fur, flowing down into his legs. He charged. Sable braced himself for an attack, but it never came. Instead, Bolt leapt over his head and out the window.

"Eona! Hey! Catch me!" he thought desperately. Invisible hands seized him in mid-air. When Lord Sable looked out the window, there was no sign of him.

* * *

"You did _what_?"

Bolt looked innocently up at Keski and Majyk. "I went and talked to Lord Sable."

"Bolt…" Keski said, visibly restraining himself, "Why in the world did you do that?"

"Seemed like a good idea at the time," Bolt said, "And besides, it worked out! I was even able to keep him distracted while Eona…did something."

The dragon in question cleared her throat. "Speaking of which…" With a small flash of light, she produced a pile of papers and presented it to Majyk, "This is what I got a hold of. Not sure what it contains. I just grabbed whatever I could and ran."

"Hopefully it will contain the evidence we need," the guildmaster said somberly.

"I will say, Bolt did make an _excellent_ distraction," Eona said with a playful smirk, "Well, other than the fact that I almost burst out laughing several times."

Bolt beamed up at her. "Thanks! It's what I do best."

"Mendigo," Majyk called, "Would you come here a moment?"

The ghost popped up out of the floor. "Present! What do you need?"

"Copy these papers and take them down to Pyre, please," the alakazam instructed, "We want more than one copy, just in case."

"On it, boss," Mendigo responded enthusiastically. He cackled in fiendish delight. "Glad to oblige, actually. Consider it a few more nails in Lord Sable's coffin, courtesy of me." He sank back through the floor, papers in tow.

"Well then, what now?" Bolt asked, "That was fun! What else can I do?"

Majyk smiled and patted his head. "I think you've done quite enough, young jolteon. Leave the rest up to us, hmm?" His expression turned somber and he sighed heavily. "Yes, we will bring him to justice. But first, we must bury a dear friend…"

* * *

The day of the funeral dawned. The entire town turned out to pay their respects, though they stayed a back a bit to allow the police and the Starchasers some room. Kachi's coffin lay beside the fresh-dug grave. Due to the gruesome nature of his injuries, the lid was already closed, but his police-sash and freshly-burnished badge lay on top of it, glinting in the sun. Pyre looked at it and sighed. The coffin looked so small next to that big hole.

One by one, Kachi's friends came forward and each recounted a short story or memory of him. Pyre told of the time he had tried to find the pikachu a girl and how it had failed miserably. Emerald took a more serious note and shared some stories of how he had helped her and several others. "He was never too busy for us," she said. And so it went on.

Then, Meadow stepped forward. She looked shyly out at the crowd and adjusted the wreath of flowers around her head. "Um…" she began, "I just…wanted to say something real quick, if that's alright." She looked over at Pyre, who nodded encouragingly. "Brother was the best brother I could have wished for. He worked hard for me. He was funny. He played with me. He…loved me." A tear ran down her cheek. "He was really brave too! The bravest there was. I…I…" She suddenly turned and faced Master Majyk. "Please don't bury him! I know Cotton and Medi can help him! Please! Make him better! I don't want him to be dead! I…" She burst into tears. Tenderly, Cascade came onto the stage and picked her up. The pichu collapsed into her arms and buried her head on the dewott's neck. "I'm going to miss you, big brother!" she called as Cascade gently carried her off the stage, "I love you! Be brave, wherever you are!"

Pyre's eyes scanned the crowd. He glared. There he was, that damned Sableye. What a wide-brimmed hat he's wearing! Probably so he can disguise his laughter as tears! The nerve coming to the funeral, but in the end it will spell his own destruction! Yes, how good it will feel to throw that monster behind bars for good!

"Excuse me, Chief Pyre?" Fulmine's voice whispered from behind him, "I'm sorry if this is a bad time, but I wanted to tell you that I've solved the case."

Pyre smirked humorlessly. "Well you're a bit behind us then."

The manetric blinked in surprise. "Oh, well that _is_ the problem with separate investigations, I suppose. However, I would like to tell you that I have reinforcements arriving shortly. I suggest we make no move to make the arrest until they arrive."

Pyre's eyes narrowed. "Reinforcements?"

"Yes, twenty of the Capitol Guard," Fulmine replied, "Due to the nature and power of the persons involved in the crime, I thought it best to have sufficient numbers. Of course, they would have been here sooner, but the nearest teleport hub is a good day's march away."

"No, no, that's fine," Pyre said with a dismissive gesture, "Any extra help is welcome. It's not every day that someone this powerful is arrested, after all. I was concerned about whether or not we would be able to subdue him."

Fulmine nodded approvingly. "You'll wait, then?"

"Yes, we'll wait." Pyre smirked. Today was going to be a good day.

Majyk came to the front. "And now," he said solemnly, "Bolt has agreed to sing for the occasion. For those of you who don't know, he is a travelling bard who has been staying in our town for the past few weeks. Bolt, if you please?"

The jolteon stepped forward and turned to face the audience. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Farewell, dear friend," he sang, "we send you on your way. How cruel was the hand that cut short your stay. We are gathered here, friends and family all, to lay you to rest, answ'ring Heaven's call.

"But we your friends, who on Earth do remain, do so swear to never forget your name. Though time marches on while you lie still here, souls connect hearts which hold each other dear.

"But yet, Death shall not triumph over ye. I look forward to the day that we shall see, each other again, on that Last, Bright Dawn! When Good shall triumph and Evil be gone!

"So has my father always said to me. That Last, Glorious Day shall sometime be!"

Bolt bowed his head and stepped back. A ripple of applause swept through the crowd, though it was subdued by the severity of the occasion. Soon, the coffin was lowered into the ground as the police force all saluted. Team Tremor had the sad duty of filling in the grave, but they were almost unable to until Cascade escorted Meadow away. Wordlessly, Ryke and Mina detached themselves from the crowd, heading off in the same direction.

"Where are they going?" Bolt whispered to Keski.

"To comfort their friend," the lucario answered grimly, "Arceus knows she could use it…"

The crowd began to disperse, but soon they discovered something completely unexpected: a troop of magnezone bearing the seal of the Capitol Guard headed directly for them. Whispers through them, some worried, some indignant. Fulmine stepped forward and called in a loud voice. "Good citizens, pardon me, but Chief Pyre and I have an announcement!"

All eyes shifted towards the manetric. He continued in a proper, clipped tone. "You do not know me, but I am Commander Fulmine from Central Command. Originally, I was sent to investigate the attacks you have experienced recently, but Pyre assured me that the murderer of your good Officer Kachi and the villains who orchestrated the attacks are one and the same. So, thanks to the information I have gathered from you and several of my own sources, I am happy to announce that we have solved the murder!"

Pyre smirked at Lord Sable, but the sableye didn't look concerned. In fact, he hardly reacted at all. However, a startled hubbub rose up from the crowd, but Fulmine quieted it with an imperious glare. "Now, thanks to the help of several of you, I was able to track down a key witness to this event." He turned toward the Starchasers. "Medi, would you please step forward."

The Starchasers stared in confusion as she made her way to the manetric's side, looking like a prisoner going to the headsman's block. "Medi…?" Cia called in confusion. The female glaceon's face was the picture of bewilderment.

"Medi," Emerald said, "What's going on?"

The weavile turned. Tears were in her eyes, but all she said was, "I'm sorry. So very sorry…I had to or else…"

"Right," Fulmine continued, "In exchange for immunity, Medi agreed to reveal everything she knew about this sinister plot. Which is why I now can say with the utmost pleasure…" He stared directly at Majyk, eyes cold. "Guildmaster Majyk, you and your entire guild are under arrest for conspiracy to kill and the actual murder of an officer."

There was a moment of stunned silence. "WHAT?!" Pyre shouted.

Fulmine blinked. "I'm sorry if this catches you by surprise, I was under the impression we were of the same mind here. Is this not what we just discussed?"

"No!" Pyre snapped, "We were going to arrest _Sable_! Lord Sable!"

Fulmine frowned. "Lord Sable has been nothing but a help during this investigation. In fact, there were several clues that I would have missed were he not there to put me on the right track. He even arranged for me to meet privately with Medi here to receive her account. I'm afraid you must be mistaken. The testimony is quite ironclad." The weavile shifted uncomfortably.

"But why would _we_ kill Kachi?!" Emerald protested, "the idea is…ridiculous!"

"I do not yet know your reasons," Fulmine responded, "But there will be plenty of time for that in the Imperial Dungeons."

"But…we have evidence…documents that prove Sable is guilty!" Pyre protested.

"Where did you get them?" Fulmine asked.

"I got them from…" Pyre paused, "Well…I got them from the Starchaser Guild…"

The manetric nodded. "Evidence produced by the accused is always suspect, I'm afraid." He laid a paw on the quilava police chief's shoulder. "I'm sincerely sorry for the confusion. It was not my intent. If you would like, we can review the evidence together later, but for now the Starchaser Guild is under arrest by my authority as a representative of Central Command."

Pyre tried to protest, tried to come up with some defense for the guild, but no words came. When at last he spoke, all he could say was, "But they can't _all_ be guilty!"

"I agree!" Fulmine stated, "But at this point, we cannot determine who is truly guilty and who is innocent. Trust me, I will see justice done and no more. Upon my honor, those who had nothing to do with the crime will be released. Who knows? Perhaps there will be enough of them to remake the Starchaser Guild!"

Pyre rounded on Medi, eyes aflame. "What the hell are you doing?" he demanded in a low growl.

She looked down. "Saving my own skin…"

"Aw forget you!" Pyre snapped, turning away.

A loud outcry came from the Pokémon of the Starchaser Guild, but Majyk silenced them with a look. He floated forward and stopped in front of Commander Fulmine. "You are making a mistake," he said, "We are not guilty of his murder. None of us had anything to do with it. I knew him since he was born and he had been a life-long friend to many of us. Please, allow us to bury him. Do not desecrate this day with a perversion of justice!"

Fulmine's eyes were as ice. "Justice is blind, Guildmaster. Such considerations are not a factor." He signaled the troop of magnezone. "Initiate containment proceedures! No termination authorized!"

"Acknowledged!" they said in unison with deep, guttural machine-voices. The twenty of them fanned out and surrounded the Starchasers in a matter of moments. Their metal hides hummed with power and the nearby Pokémon heard crackle of electricity from the magnets.

"Be advised," Fulmine said, "that while a stun is not fatal, it will hurt a lot. And for you ground-types, do not think that your immunity means you can fight back. You will just wake up with more injuries than the rest. Are we clear?"

In a flash of blinding light, Eona appeared above them. "Stop this at once!" she ordered, "The Starchasers are innocent!"

Fulmine gaped. The magnezones, however, swiveled to face her with electric blasts primed to fire. "Interference will not be tolerated!"

"Look out, Eona!" Bolt cried and leapt into the air between them and her.

"Stop!" the manetric ordered, rushing forward, "Do not attack, you fools! That's…"

His words came too late. The assembled machine Pokémon fired, but Bolt was in their way. He opened his mouth and all the electricity arced toward him, flowing down his throat. The jolteon landed neatly and addressed them. "Now," he said, "I would appreciate it if everyone would calm down for a second. Lord Sable practically told me that he killed Kachi. If anyone should be arrested, it is…"

"Citizen, you are resisting arrest!" they chorused, "prepare to be neutralized!"

"That doesn't seem very nice…" Bolt said doubtfully as they prepared to attack once more. A grey energy blast exploded on his back and threw him to the ground. With a grunt, he tried to rise but a volley of blasts pelted him, almost making him lose consciousness.

Then, there was a low growl and the harsh sound of grating, bending, twisting metal. When Bolt looked up, Keski was standing over him, wielding the torn-off limb of a magnezone in his paws. One zapped him from behind, but he whirled and threw it defiantly in the machine-Pokémon's red, central eye. The glass shattered into pieces and the magnezone emitted a tortured, wailing shriek.

"Next one to so much as a _spark_ in his direction goes straight to the scrap-merchants!" Keski threatened. He glanced down at Bolt. "You hurt?"

"A little, yeah…" Bolt admitted, "My leg hurts right at the knee. My stomach does too. Oh wait, that's because I'm hungry. Never mind about my stomach."

"Officer under assault! Officer under assault!" they chorused, ignoring him, "Termination in progress!"

"Termination?!" Fulmine repeated, "I did not authorize…!"

"Oh no you don't, scrapheads!" With a roar, Blitz led Team Firestrike in a charge at the magnezone line with a column of flame trailing behind him.

"Killing someone for defending a friend? That really ticks me off!" Corona snapped. The female flareon inhaled sharply and sent flames spewing over their metal hides.

The rest of the guild leapt into action. "Starchasers, defend Bolt!" Majyk ordered and they charged into battle, forming a defensive ring around him.

Pyre seized Fulmine's shoulder roughly. "Fulmine!" he shouted, "This is getting out of hand!" A deflected bolt of lightning shot by their heads.

"Hey Short-Circuit!" Mendigo taunted as he buzzed in and out of the magnezones, "Try and hit me! Come on, I dare ya!"

Fulmine tore his eyes away from the scene unfolding in front of him. "Attacking officers of the law is a crime punishable by death or life in prison, as I'm sure you know."

"Are you going to imprison _Latias_ then?" Pyre snapped, "Look! She's fighting alongside them!" He winced as a tremendous ball of energy imploded the head of a magnazone. "And…doing a frighteningly good job of it too."

"Legendary Pokémon are not under the Empire's jurisdiction," Fulmine replied, "However, we are within our rights to capture and hold her until she can be turned over to her proper authorities."

"Which would be?"

"I would assume the Priesthood."

Eyes glowing, Emerald raised her hand and stopped a thunderbolt in mid-air. Then, calling upon the full extent of her powers, she formed a spear of energy and sent it flyin straight through the body of a magnazone. Its eyes flickered for a moment and then went out as it crashed to the ground. Beside her, Sunsoarer and Stuffy formed a living shield, protecting Bolt from further attacks. The flygon's ground-typing and the snorlax's nigh-impenetrable natural defenses hopefully would shield him from further harm. Their team leader, Naila, ran around the battlefield slashing and stabbing with her claws. The others fought as well, each to their degree of skill. Keski, though, attacked whichever threat was closest to Bolt with a ferocity that disturbed those watching.

The magnezones began to falter as one by one they were struck down. Half of the time, they were struck by their own attacks thanks to the efforts of Master Majyk. Team Snowpaw worked in unison to erect a crude fort of ice that shielded the Starchasers even more. The stray bolts that hit their intended target didn't do much more than a burn. As for the machines who were targeting Mendigo, they quickly realized their mistake. He was completely unaffected. Meanwhile, Team Firestrike tore through their ranks like a wrecking ball with Slicer running interference. Even Cotton and Skipper helped from within the confines of the ice fort. The jumpluff medic spewed out clouds of spores that clogged the magnezone's servo-motors and the floatzel cook provided water for Team Snowpaw to freeze and reinforce the ice.

"You know, your officers' help _is_ welcome," Fulmine said in annoyance, "I should have asked for more reinforcements, however I did not account for Latias' presence."

"I'm sorry, but no," Pyre replied, "These are our friends. Until I see with my own eyes evidence that they are guilty, the best I can promise is that we won't interfere."

"That will have to do then," Fulmine growled, "But this will go on the report!"

"Let it!" Pyre shot back, "Besides, even with my help, you couldn't subdue the Starchasers and Eona. Perhaps if you weren't fighting three powerful psychics who can deflect attacks, the odds would be better."

Fulmine let out a small sigh as the last of the magnezones fell to the ground. "It appears you are right."

"And it seems you lost!" Corona taunted, panting. Fulmine glowered at her and she met his stare with a cocky smirk. She winced, though, as the pain of an electric burn raced up her side.

"I will admit, the initial attack was unwarranted," the manetric stated, "but, it is a serious crime to attack an officer of the law and now you share the guilt of doing so not once, but twenty times. Even if you were innocent before, this is an inexcusable crime!"

"So you are asking us to stand back and watch Keski and Bolt get blasted to oblivion?!" Rafasa scoffed. The monferno crossed his arms. "Seems fair, right boss?"

Blitz grunted. The big arcanine stood over the charred wrecks of three magnezone, smoke rising off his mane. He gave Fulmine the most intimidating look he could muster. "Not to my way of thinkin'. Wouldn't have been right, understand me, manetric?"

"What you think about it being right or not is immaterial," Fulmine replied, "It would have been legal. And so, by the power vested in me as a representative of Central Command, I hereby declare the Starchaser Guild to be outlaws of the basest kind! Brigands and savages!" He looked around, but saw no one supporting him. The townsfolk stared at him with poorly concealed hostility in their eyes. "I see now that an arrest is impossible," he said, "But from this moment forth, you are all wanted Pokémon! And you, Chief Pyre! I am very disappointed in you. I will report your refusal to assist me. Also, I warn you to at the very least not give them any help if you value your own life!" The manetric set his face toward the road. "I'm going now. Stop me if you must, Starchasers, but word of this will spread regardless!" He set off at a gallop and no one made a move to stop him.

For a moment, the only sound was the wind blowing across the field. "Where is Medi?" Majyk asked, "I would like to speak to her, if I could."

They looked around, but did not see her anywhere, nor could they find Lord Sable or Roxy. Shortly, they gave up. "I'd say we have about three days," Pyre said, "Three days until more of them show up. They'll bring an entire regiment next time too, if I'm not mistaken."

"We can take them!" a voice from the crowd shouted, "Long life to the Starchasers!" The crowd cheered.

"No!" Majyk replied, "There will not be any fighting, not on our account. We are sworn to defend Seaside Crest, not the other way around."

"Then what will we do?" Cia asked worriedly.

"Hush, sister," Cyon said gently. He gave her a comforting smile. "I'm sure the guildmaster has a plan."

Majyk hesitated, visibly torn. "We will…discuss that in private. All I can say now is that, after this, things will not be the same."

(End Part One)


	11. Chapter 11: The Shroud of Darkness

Part Two: Bolt the Fugitive

Chapter 1: The Shroud of Darkness

"_Indeed, I tremble for my country when I remember that God is Just." –Thomas Jefferson_

_My, the past few months have been eventful, haven't they Arceus, my love? Oh, I know you probably aren't listening. Or maybe you are. I don't care, it changes nothing. _

_Let's tally up all that's happened, shall we? My servants, Greed and Envy, ascended to your beloved world. Greed merged with a noble in the Seafoam Empire named Lord Sable and managed to locate the Seal of the Mind. Envy merged with a condemned bandit leader in the Northern Mountains, a blaziken named Warhawk. They broke out, of course, and slaughtered the guards and other gladiators. Impressive on its own, but then he actually managed to find and _destroy_ the Seal of Earth. _

_I can feel my power returning to me. It was wise of you to seal it separately from me. The Four Seals of the Elements bind it and the Seals of Mind, Body, and Spirit for me. But one has fallen and Guildmaster Majyk, bearer of the Seal of Mind, shall soon fall as well. Greed drove him from his home and now he flees the Seafoam Empire for Northmarch. It will be his last journey!_

_Anger stirs in the North. The citizens of the Midnight Kingdom hunger for vengeance. I will send my third servant, Wrath, to them. He will stir up the embers of that glorious war. With him as their leader, not even the power of aura will be able to stop the horde of darkness that will sweep over the land like a tidal wave! Northmarch will fall! _

_As I sit here, alone except for my servants, I cannot help but wonder, do you regret what you did to me? I was the firstborn of creation! If you were the father, then I was the mother! And yet you let them, your children, suffer and die! Well, I will rise and destroy this world of yours! I will rebuild it; I will make a new world! A DEATHLESS World! _

_And now, I send the fourth of my servants to begin the process of this world's destruction. A soft-spoken fiend to lull it into slumber so it cannot see the knife poised to strike. Sloth, Indolence, whatever you should choose to call him, will go as an advisor to the great kings of the land to divert them with petty amusements and games. He will blind them to the world so they cannot see it. _

_But there is also the fifth, who is eager to make her mark on the world once more. But her time is not quite here. She will wait for just a little while longer until the time is right. Perhaps she will even take that pathetic, pink kitten you made to replace me!_

_The world will burn…_

_A new one will rise…_

_On my return…_

_The Day of Burning Skies…_

* * *

"For the last time, yes! They're gone already!"

Ninetales blinked in surprise at the quilava's vehement response. "I'm sorry, my child. I did not realize the question was such a touchy one."

"Oh really?" He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk. "Well then, you can tell your higher ups at the Capitol that, yes, the Starchasers are gone and I'm getting rather tired of them sending messengers to ask me every other day if they are still here or not!"

"I am not from the capitol," Ninetales replied.

"Secret Service then. I don't care. Just go away and leave us alone!"

"You misunderstand me. I am not from your government at all."

The police chief scrutinized him carefully. "You from another guild then?"

Nintales shifted. "Well, no…"

He sighed heavily. "Sir, this conversation is going nowhere, so I'm just going to ask. Who are you and where do you come from?"

"I'm Ninetales."

"Yes, I know what species you are. Your name please?"

"No," Ninetales insisted, "I _am_ Ninetales. The species is named after me."

"Well you must be old as dirt then," the police chief retorted sarcastically.

"Older than some of it, yes," Ninetales admitted, "I'm immortal, you see. Now, I really must speak to Master Majyk. He's an…well, I suppose he'd call me an old acquaintance, but we've really only known each other a few centuries."

Pyre frowned. "You don't look very old for a ninetales."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Ninetales replied with a pleased grin, "But I'm actually around, oh, sixty-nine or so."

"I thought you said you were centuries old."

"I am!"

"Then why," Pyre said slowly, "Did you just say you were sixty-nine?!"

"Sixty-nine _centuries_, dear boy," Ninetales corrected, "Though I suppose it's getting closer to seventy now. Ho-hum. Time marches on, I suppose."

"Well then, sorry about snapping at you," Pyre muttered. Even if he didn't wholly believe his visitor, he decided to humor him a bit. It wouldn't do any harm. "They left about a week ago now, with every other guild worth its salt hot on their heels."

"Do you have any idea which way they went?" Ninetales asked.

"No I do not," Pyre snapped, "And if you knew Master Majyk well, you'd have a better idea than me!"

Ninetales blinked. "You know, I believe you're right! Well, I'm afraid I don't have time to stay and chat. Thank you for your time, Chief Pyre. I can show myself out."

"You do that," Pyre growled. He turned his attention back to his work. There was a letter for him in his box. He picked it up and sighed. After this, he'd go down to the inn and see about getting a massage from the girls. That'd relieve _some _of the stress he was feeling.

He read the letter and clenched his jaw. "Oh this is just great…" Pyre read through the letter one more time, just to be sure he wasn't missing anything. "Cascade! A moment, please!"

She appeared in front of his desk as if summoned out of the ground and saluted sharply. "Sir?"

He tossed her the letter. "Read that and tell me what you think."

She scanned it. "I'd say congratulations would be in order, sir, on your promotion. 'For excellent work above and beyond the call of duty in defense of the township of Seaside Crest'."

"Thank you," Pyre growled, "But that's just what I don't like about it!"

Cascade raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"Don't give me that look. I know that look. You know exactly why I don't like it."

"Humor me, sir, and tell me yourself."

"Alright," Pyre growled, "Nowhere, not even in a footnote, does it mention anything the Starchasers did!"

"Officially, they are outlaws now," Cascade replied, "And officially, we are to treat them just the same as any other criminal. However, I am personally glad they managed to escape."

"They did leave rather abruptly though…No one even saw them slip away," Pyre muttered.

"Probably for the best, sir, since Lord Sable was still in town."

"Well, at least he left after they were gone." Pyre leaned back and sighed. "And the worst part of all this business? All this blasted paperwork! I can barely see over my own desk!"

Cascade rolled her eyes. "Then you'd best get to it, sir." She frowned. "A thought just occurred to me…if you are already the chief of police here, what does it mean when you are promoted?"

Pyre stiffened. "Oh Arceus…they're going to transfer me! Probably put one of Lord Sable's lackeys in my place. This is bad…"

"Or it could be an opportunity," Cascade countered, "Higher rank, more resources, more authority, more…access to hidden records. I'm pretty sure we both agree that the Starchasers are _not_ guilty?"

"Yes, of course!" Pyre snapped, "Only someone from outside the town could be stupid enough to believe that they killed Kachi!"

Cascade nodded. "Then Lord Sable is still the prime suspect. This promotion could be the chance you need to take him down."

"If only I could have gotten a chance to talk with Medi…" Pyre lamented, "I could have straightened a lot of this out."

"She went with Lord Sable, so I was told," Cascade said, "Arceus knows what he intends to do with her…"

* * *

"Roxy?"

"Yes Lord Sable?"

"I just discovered something I really liked about Seaside Crest."

"What's that?"

"There was no frickin' traffic!"

Roxy giggled and patted him on the shoulder as their carriage jolted forward a few feet. "But just think, soon you'll be back in your own bed eating your own food! Besides, just being back here is nice after all that time spent in that horrid little hole of a town!"

"I rather liked it…" Medi muttered from the corner. She stared out the window through a crack in the curtains and tried not be impressed. The city was absolutely beautiful and soared high as if to pierce the sky, but it was so crowded! Throngs of Pokémon pushed their way past the few carriages marooned in the middle of the street. Sable took one look out and groaned.

"Tomorrow, I'm proposing a fine for obstructing the street," he declared, "That should keep this scum out of my way." There was a knock at the door. Sable hissed in annoyance.

"Excuse me sir!" a voice called from outside, "But my family is starving. A few coins, sir, to save my daughter's life?"

"Out of the way! I'm on the Council of Lords and I demand to be let through!" Sable snapped.

"A Council-member! Oi! Boys! We got a Council-member here!"

Immediately, his carriage was surrounded. Like pale wraiths, beggars of the street crowded around him, paws extended hopefully. Their cries echoed in Sable's ears, cries for mercy, pity, help. "For my family, sir", "Until I can get a new job", "Just a few coins! That's all!" Medi sat frozen in shock. Their cries were like the cries of the damned!

Sable ground his teeth in annoyance. "Now we'll never get through!" he hissed, "Maggots! They'll never let me leave until they've drained me dry!" He looked out the window and froze, transfixed. A look of horror crossed his face, just for a moment. Suddenly, he tore himself away and violently knocked on the roof of the carriage. "Driver! You have permission to ride them down! Just get us out of here!"

"Yes, Lord Sable," the Rapidash called back.

"What?!" Medi stared at him with wide eyes. The carriage lurched forward and there was a scream. Then, the right wheels of the carriage ran over something soft and there was a horrible squelching sound. The weavile looked at Sable in horror. "Why would you _do_ that?! They just wanted money!"

"_My_ money!" Sable growled. He saw her expression and leered. "Oh don't be so self-righteous, cultist. They're all pests anyway! Little better than fleas. They don't _do_ anything of use. We'd be better off without them. Besides, I didn't want to stay there any longer!" He knocked on the roof again. "Don't stop until you reach the Imperial Palace!"

"Yes, Lord Sable! You! Out of the way!" Something struck the side of the carriage and there was another scream.

"We're going to have to get this washed when we reach our destination," Roxy noted, "Blood can have a negative effect on the paint."

Sable turned to Medi with a sinister grin. "Let this be a lesson to you, cultist, if you are of no use to me, I will not hesitate to trample you!" Silently, she shivered and looked away.

Lord Sable looked out the window and scanned the crowd. Good, both Roxy and Medi believed him. They couldn't know the true reason for his haste. Back there in the intersection, there had been a most disturbing thing: a pikachu with a scar across his throat and another in the center of his chest. The police insignia on his blue sash had blazed brightly like a star pinned. And his eyes, his eyes! Staring, angry eyes! Eyes like an angel guarding Hell! Sable, or more properly, Greed, knew what those were like. He wanted away from that Pikachu and his eyes and he didn't care who he had to run over in the process!

The carriage rattled through the streets, careened around corners, and burst through the gates to the Imperial Palace with sparks flying around it. Without waiting for a footman to come, Sable threw open the door to the carriage and sped into the palace.

"Lord Sable! Wait!" Roxy called. She leapt from the carriage and took to the air, flying after him.

Slowly, Medi descended and stood looking around in concern at her surroundings. The rapidash driver was breathing heavily and traces of blood were on his hooves. A wave of revulsion washed over Medi. She shuddered and flexed her claws instinctively. Damn Sable! She'd kill him if she got the chance. Wouldn't even be here if it hadn't been for that stupid Shift Orb! He'd made it _very_ clear that if the police started interviewing the townspeople, it would be her they reported seeing and not Sable!

"I didn't want to betray them…" she reassured herself for the thousandth time, "But I have one life and one life only. I'm going to hang onto it for as long as I can."

No sooner had Lord Sable reached his office and slammed the door than someone knocked on it. "What?!" he growled. One of his assistants, an editor for the advertising section of the newspaper, poked his head in.

"Excuse me, Lord Sable? We figured you'd want to know this as soon as you got back. We found that female jolteon you were looking for."

Sable frowned. "Female jolteon? What female jolteon?"

"Well, you told us to put out an advertisement for a female eeveelution to do some modelling, sir," the assistant replied, "And to only accept ones with the name Mist who said they were from the Island of Rainbows. Only one applied who met that criteria, sir, and she's a jolteon."

"Odd name for a jolteon," Sable muttered, "I would have thought she'd be a vaporeon, but hey, I'm not complaining if you found her. Is she here?"

"Yes sir. We gave her a bed and told her to wait until you could approve her."

"Good, good," Sable purred, "Excellent job. Send her up and then take the rest of today and tomorrow off. You've done well."

"Th-thank you sir! I'll get her right away!"

"Oh, and tell Roxy to wait outside until I call her."

"Yes sir!"

Sable grinned and poured himself a glass of wine to ease his nerves. So, things were still well in hand. He'd probably just imagined seeing Kachi before! Yes, that was it. That had to be it. His imagination was getting the better of him. "Never mind that now," Sable muttered to himself, "It's time to meet Bolt's dear sister. And I sincerely hope they don't act the same way."

"Announcing Ms. Mist of the Island of Rainbows!" the doorman said.

The door shortly opened again and a slim, female jolteon entered. She fidgeted nervously and stood by the doorway. "Um…" she said, "Hello. I heard you wanted to see me?"

"Yes, I did," Sable replied.

"Did?" she repeated, voice rising, "Past tense? What, so you don't want me anymore, is that what you're saying? Rude. I waited here for ten days, basically imprisoned, and then you arrive and say I'm no longer wanted?"

Sable sighed. Apparently, being annoying ran in the family. "No. That's not what I meant. I both wanted and still want to see you. Clear?"

"Oh, well in that case, hi! I'm Mist." She smiled at him in a way that reminded him very much of Bolt. He cleared his throat.

"Right, I am Lord Sable. I'm in charge of the press around here." She stared at him blankly. "That means the news."

"Oh," she said, ears drooping, "Sorry. I probably should have known that, right. I still have a lot to learn about life on the mainland…but I'm doing my best!"

Sable put on his best friendly smile. The one that didn't quite show off his sharp teeth as much. "Well, I'm sure you'll get the hang of it. Now…tell me a bit about yourself."

"Do you have all day?" she asked jokingly, "I'll give you the short version, m'kay? I was born and lived all my life on a little island. My dad's one of the big 'three guardians' there, so I was never allowed to go anywhere by myself. They were always afraid that someone would kidnap me or my brother Bolt. It got very boring. So…I ran away, you know? Wanted to see the world for myself instead of just hearing about it from the few traders that were allowed to come to the island."

Lord Sable took a sip of wine and nodded. "So why aren't you? Why are you here and not out there?"

"Well…you see, back home, I never had to worry about money…Like I said, my dad was pretty important. But here…"

"Ah, say no more." Sable chuckled good-naturedly. "Now _money_ I can help you with. Maybe I could even arrange for you to see a thing or two, hmm?" He took another sip. "By the way, what sort of Pokémon was your father."

She blushed and looked down. "I'd…rather not say. It'd sound like bragging."

"Oh please." Sable stepped out from behind his desk. "First lesson, always be ready to tell everyone what's special about you. Otherwise, they'll forget you and you'll never get ahead in the world." She hesitated and he smiled. "Hey, I'm just saying, if your father's someone impressive, it'd do you no harm to share that information."

"Well…my father is…" She took a deep breath. "Raikou, my father is Raikou, okay?"

Lord Sable blinked and cast an appraising eye over her. You could almost hear his mind whirring as he processed this information. "Very interesting…"

Mist fidgeted nervously under his gaze. "Um…could you stop looking at me like that? It's creeping me out."

"That's another thing you'll have to get used to," Sable said, "You're applying to be a model, after all." He paused. "We'll need to get you a bit…cleaned up first. A fur trim, for instance. I'll hand you over to my assistant, Roxy. She has some experience with this sort of thing. Be a doll and do what she says, no matter how strange it might seem to you, okay?"

"Ah…okay?" She didn't seem terribly pleased with the prospect, but didn't protest. Instead, she took a deep breath and smiled at him. "Thank you, Lord Sable, for agreeing to hire me."

Sable grinned just a bit too widely. "Oh believe me, daughter of Raikou, it is my genuine pleasure."

* * *

"Right, this looks like a good place to start."

Cyon set his basket down and pointed to the berry bushes. "Grab the Oran, Sitrus, Pecha, and Cheri berries first. And remember, we need to be quick because…"

"We need to keep on the move so we can meet the other half of the Guild on time," Yuki finished for him, "Seriously, Cyon. We know. We were there."

"Sorry…" the male glaceon muttered, "I'm just…nervous is all. We're so close to the border…"

"Don't worry!" Bolt piped up cheerfully, "If we get in trouble, Keski will sense it and come running!"

"We should still keep an eye out, though, right?" Cia asked, "I mean, I don't want to be ambushed again…"

Yuki rubbed a bandage on her forehead ruefully. "Yeah…that wasn't fun."

"Well, just think of it this way!" Bolt said, "If they chase us, we can throw leppa berries in their eyes! The spiciness will burn them!"

The three glaceons giggled. "Right!" Cyon said, "Yuki, you're with me. Cia, would it be too terrible if I asked you to go with Bolt?"

Cia glanced at the jolteon and blushed. "No…that won't be a problem…"

Cyon nodded. "Well then, I suggest we keep picking berries until the sun is directly overhead, then head back. Any objections?" The three others shook their head. "Right, Team Snowpaw, move out! Oh, and you, Bolt."

The jolteon shrugged. "Don't worry. Hey! Bet Cia and I can pick more berries than you can!"

"Ha! You're on!" Yuki replied, "Come on, Cyon!" She and her brother immediately began picking berries. Bolt turned to a different spot, but paused short when Cia didn't immediately follow. She sat still, staring at the ground and deep in thought.

"Hey Cia, coming?" he asked gently.

She jumped and returned abruptly to reality. "Oh! Y-yes. Coming, Bolt." Embarrassed, she picked up her basket and followed. They quickly found a nearby patch of berries and began picking, tugging each one loose with their mouths and gently setting it down in the basket. Bolt glanced over at Cia. She seemed distracted and only picked berries at half-speed. Her eyes kept wandering around the forest and she let out a heavy sigh.

"You okay?" he asked, "You know we're never going to win unless we both work quickly, right?"

Cia looked up quickly and blushed. "Sorry…"

"Sorry?" Bolt repeated with a confused expression, "I wasn't saying you were doing anything wrong…"

"Oh. Sorry…"

Bolt frowned. "Um…apology accepted, I guess? But really, I was only trying to make you smile…" She sighed and nodded. Feeling awkward, the jolteon fidgeted. "Um, Cia? Is something wrong?"

"No. Well, not exactly. It's just…" She sighed again. "I don't like running from people who should be our friends. It makes me feel…sad."

Bolt set his basket aside. "I understand…" he said with a comforting smile. "I'm still worried about my sister…wondering what's happening to her makes me feel sad at times. Plus, Lord Sable said something about getting his hands on her." He bit his lip worriedly.

"I…I suppose you could leave and look for her…" Cia said in a soft voice.

Bolt thought about it and shook his head, frowning. "No, Keski and I still have no clue where she is, and now there is a bounty on our heads. Even if Keski were to dye his fur a different color, I don't think it would…"

"Keski's fur is dyed?" Cia stared at him in confusion.

Bolt's eyes widened and he grinned sheepishly. "Um…please don't tell him I let that slip…"

"What's his fur really like then?" Cia asked, leaning forward.

"Well it's…"

"None of your concern," the lucario finished with a growl. He stepped into the clearing. "Shadow says there are enemies coming up from the south. Whatever you managed to grab, bring it now. We're packing up and leaving."

Cia sighed heavily. "Another day on the run…"

"Yeah…," the lucario growled, "It's tough. Believe me, I know. Just be glad your own family aren't the ones looking to kill you." Cia looked at him in horror.

"Is that…is that what happened to you?" she asked.

The black-furred lucario sighed. "Yeah…something like that."

"Don't worry, Keski," Bolt said, "You're like a brother to me and Mist! I mean, Dad pretty much adopted you and all. So cheer up!"

"Cheer up? What are you talking about?" Keski said with a smirk, "I'm a veritable fountain of happiness and good cheer."

Bolt shrugged and grinned. "Eh, fair point. Now keep it up or I shall have to tickle you mercilessly!"

Keski immediately stiffened and backed away. "You wouldn't dare…"

"Try me!"

Keski calculated the odds and found they weren't in his favor. "Fine," he growled.

"He's ticklish?" Cia whispered to Bolt.

The jolteon grinned. "Very. Especially on the pads of his feet."

Keski muttered something uncomplimentary under his breath. "Just…gather the berries and head back…" He made to leave.

"Hey!" Bolt pinned his tail to the ground. "Not so fast! If something's actually bothering you, tell me!"

"Does it matter?"

"Well sure it does! I worry about you, you know!"

"Likewise…" the lucario growled. He looked at Bolt's expectant face and sighed. "We're headed north."

There was a moment of silence. "Aaaaand?" Bolt prompted.

"Blast it, Bolt! That's where my…" Keski glanced at Cia, who was watching this interchange with a mixture of bewilderment and interest. "Where I used to live," the lucario finished.

"Um, excuse me?" Cia said hesitantly, "if there are more attackers coming, shouldn't we be headed back to camp?"

"That sounds like a wonderful idea," Keski growled, "Grab Cyon and Yuki and then let's go."

Hidden in a small ravine, a circle of tents sat under an overhang around the remains of a large campfire. Half the Starchaser Guild bustled around, in a hurry to tear down the campsite before their pursuers caught up with them. Again.

Keski looked around and wished for the fortieth time that they had more allies with them. Other than Team Snowpaw, there were Ryke, Mina, Skipper, Slicer, and Shadow. The plan had been to draw their pursuers after the group with Master Majyk in it. Eona flew back and forth between the two, carrying messages and the like. In theory, this would allow some of the weaker members to slip by with less resistance while still allowing some communication. However, less resistance didn't mean no resistance, as they'd discovered.

Skipper scurried over to them. "Ah, ye have the berries." Good. We'll have to eat as we run. Hand 'em out t' everyone and grab your stuff."

"I don't have anything other than my necklace!" Bolt replied.

"Then hang onto that," the floatzel advised before moving on to the next thing he had to do. Team Snowpaw followed, handing out berries wherever they went.

"Coming through!" Ryke ran past with an armful of tent stakes. Even though they weren't all that long, in the riolu's grip they looked almost comically large.

Keski watched him pass and sighed. "I bet a lot of those will end up on my back…" he muttered.

"Hey, cheer up! At least you won't be pulling a cart behind you!" Bolt said.

"Neither will you…"

"That's not the point, Keski…"

Keski sighed. "Let's just get a move on. We're close to the border. Might as well get this over with."

A voice spoke behind them. "Hello, Keski. Hello, Bolt."

Bolt turned and smiled. "Oh hey, Shadow! How are you?"

The zoroark sighed. "I'm…not doing so well. I'm used to the dark, see. The sunlight…well it seems that it and I don't get along very well together…" He smiled weakly. "Anyway, enough about that. What…"

"What do you want?" Keski demanded brusquely.

"Um…" Shadow shuffled his paws. "I wanted to make sure you two were doing okay. I'm checking on everyone, actually. It's been tough on all of us, so…"

"We're fine," Keski stated.

"Well…that's good!" Shadow tried to sound upbeat, but Keski's glare made it very hard. "I will just…go help elsewhere…"

Bolt stepped forward. "I'll come with you!"

"No," Keski said, "I need your help with something."

Bolt blinked and regarded the lucario for a moment. "Well…okay."

"I'll just be on my way…" Shadow muttered, "We're leaving shortly. Um…make sure you're ready, I guess?"

As soon as he was gone, Bolt turned to Keski. "Sheesh! What got into you?"

"I don't trust him," Keski growled.

"This again? Look, I know you don't like dark-types, but Shadow is a Starchaser! He's on our side! Right?" Bolt said.

"I said I don't trust him. I trust Team Snowpaw and the others, but not him. Besides, we're very close to the old border of the Midnight Kingdom," Keski said, "Of course, it's Northmarch's territory now, but still. I'm just being cautious."

"Well there's no need to be mean about it," Bolt muttered, "Please, Keski, be a little nicer to him? Maybe smile at him once in a while?"

Keski took a deep breath and pasted a smile on his face. "Like this?"

"Yep!" Bolt said cheerfully, "Otherwise I will pester you with bad puns until your brain dies!"

"Perish the thought…" Keski said with a roll of his eyes.

"You bet your tail! Oh, and we'd better make sure your fur is all dyed before we head out again."

They trekked all day. The land grew rougher and rockier and a few hours into the journey great hills rose to block their way. They wound their way between them, meandering across the landscape. At nightfall, they reached the first mountain. It was short as mountains go, but they still had to go all the way around it. Snow began to fall, much to Team Snowpaw's delight. No one else really shared their joy. Soon, they were trudging through drifts of the stuff.

"Why is it so cold?" Ryke asked. The riolu shivered.

"Deal with it," Mina, his zigzagoon friend, said. She shivered. "On second thought, would you walk next to me?"

"Hey! Better idea!" Ryke said with a grin, "Will someone with warm fur carry me and Mina? Shadow? Bolt? Keski?"

"Nope, sorry!" Bolt replied, "Too busy trying to eat the snow!" He crouched and leapt into the air, jaws spread wide. "Got it!"

"Congratulations," Keski said, "Want a medal?"

"Yes! And I want it to say 'Best Snow-Catcher'!"

Keski threw a snowball at him. "Oh, looks like you didn't catch it. Sorry, you lost the award."

"Ooh! Snowballs? I want to play!" Ryke said. Another snowball slammed into the back of his head.

"Oh, did I do that?" Yuki asked innocently. A snowball struck her in the face and she fell over, giggling.

"Snowball fight!" Bolt called.

Chaos descended. Shadow stood in bewilderment as snow began flying every which way. "What in the world are you all doing?"

"Pick up snow and throw it at someone!" Bolt said, "Well, I can only kick it at people…Unless…" He dove into the nearest snowbank and came up with a large mouthful of it. Then, he twirled around and tried to throw it at someone. It missed and sailed off the nearest cliff.

"L-look out Bolt!" Cia called. She fired a blast of snow and struck him right between the eyes.

"Well, as fun as this looks, we should really find a place to stay soon…" Shadow said, "It's going to be very cold tonight."

Keski nodded. "Well, we can actually make shelters out of snow, but I don't recommend it. A cave would be my first choice."

"Then we will look for a cave!" Shadow declared.

"There's one over there," Slicer said. The kabutops pointed over toward a cliff. "I found it while you all were throwing snowballs." They looked at him. "It's quite large too. And it will be warm, when we get a fire going."

"Right," Shadow said, "Then, as the de facto leader, I say we should camp there! Uh, any objections?"

There were none. Soon, they were settled in comfortably if not cozily. Skipper cooked up the berries Bolt and Team Snowpaw had managed to gather and made them into kebabs. It was a testament to the floatzel's skill as a chef that they still tasted good, even with only a campfire and rudimentary cooking tools to prepare them.

After dinner, Bolt rose and struck a dramatic pose. "Alright! Back to the snowball fight!"

Ryke let out a wide yawn. "Sorry. I'm tired…" the riolu said.

"Same…" Mina agreed.

"Well, I think it is a good idea if we all get a good night's rest," Cyon said, "After all, the girls and I need our beauty sleep."

"I'll take first watch then," Slicer said with a grunt. No one contested it either. Bolt looked glum, though. They spread out various mats and bedrolls on the floor and prepared to rest. After all, travelling cross-country all day was tiring and even the fittest of them needed sleep. However, before Bolt could join them, Slicer called him over. Curious, he hopped up and joined the kabutops at the cave entrance.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing, nothing," Slicer assured him, "I just…wanted to talk to you."

Bolt tilted his head to the side. "What about?"

For a moment, Slicer stared out into the night silently. "Snow is picking up," he said, "We may have to dig our way out."

"Oh, well in that case, it shouldn't be too hard! I love playing in the snow! There was never much of it at home, though," Bolt said, "But…that's not really what you wanted to talk about, is it?"

Slicer chuckled. "You are perceptive. Sometimes. Other times, you act like an idiot."

"Thank you," Bolt said with a grin, "I try. It cheers everyone up when they can laugh at someone other than themselves. I learned that with Keski."

"You two are close," Slicer stated, "yet you're complete opposites."

"Well, I don't know about _complete_," Bolt said, "Though we used to be. Years of each other's company has kind of bent our personalities around each other, if you know what I mean."

Slicer nodded. "I see…"

"But that's not what you wanted to ask either," Bolt said, "So…do I have to beg?"

"No, no," Slicer dismissed the thought with a wave of his arm. He hesitated. "Before I ask though, let me explain. Yes, explain. I am…not from this time. My tribes died eons ago. Then, we were…revived, the word is. My bones, they had been on display in some…structure. But when I was reborn, even those who had built it had come and gone."

"So…what's this have to do with your question?" Bolt asked.

"Well, it's just…I wonder how you remain so…the word I look for is joyful," Slicer said, "I'm used to the feeling of homelessness, of being set adrift. This, this situation of ours is nothing new to me. I've been flung across time, homeless and alone. Now, the same has happened to the Starchaser Guild and you, you remain…happy and content. Death or imprisonment follows close behind us. I fear only the latter, but you fear neither. How?"

Bolt looked away and stared out into the snowstorm. "Hmm, never thought about it," he said, "I guess…I just always trusted that everything would work out. If I just looked for Mist, I'd find her. If we do what's right, things will work out." He smiled. "Am I right?"

Slicer frowned. "You do not know this world very well. If you were right, we wouldn't be on the run."

Bolt sighed. "That's true. Back home, that's how it worked. I guess the real world's more complicated then." He pondered the question for a few minutes. "Hope," he said at last, "That I have in abundance." He laughed. "Guess I haven't learned enough about the world yet to realize how stupid it is! Then again, I'd probably hold out anyway, just because! After all, a world without hope is no fun at all."

"In that we agree…" Slicer grunted, "How do you have hope?

Bolt was silent for a long time. "It's like I said. But…I suppose I just look for it, even when bad things happen." He let out a yawn. "Well looks like I'm a bit tired myself."

"Sleep, then," Slicer said, "I've kept you, yes, kept you too long. You should sleep now."

Bolt nodded. "Yeah…I'm more used to sprinting. All this walking kind of wears me out." He yawned. "Night."

"Good night, Bolt the hopeful Jolteon." Slicer turned and set his gaze upon the world outside. Inside, he pondered the words Bolt had spoken and many other things besides. His eyes began to droop. He was tired, so tired. Sometimes, like tonight, he felt the cold, stone imprisoning him once again. Weighing down, pressing him deep into the earth. The weight of ten thousand years. He was so tired. He felt himself slipping. He tried to fight, but something… something fought back. He needed to sleep. He needed to rest. To regain his strength. Yes… rest… He fell asleep looking up at the stars in the sky staring down at him like eyes.

* * *

_"__Keski, my son."_

_"__Yes, father?"_

_"__Execute them."_

_"__Yes, father."_

_It was easy. Terribly easy. A blast of aura and the bodies crumpled, all life burnt out of them. He went down the line and grabbed the prisoners one by one. After the deed was done, he tossed the body back to one of the soldiers. Terror, pleas for mercy, none moved him. He was resolute, immovable, inexorable, and unbreakable as justice. No, he was justice. Those who opposed the will of the King would perish. It was his divinely-appointed duty to carry out the King's wishes. He was the savior of Northmarch, bringing judgment upon the Darkrai-worshiping spawn of the Giratina in the Midnight Kingdom._

_There was a pile of corpses now. They would burn them shortly, and then their ashes would be scattered to the four winds. He frowned. Why was there blood? Aura-burning was a completely sterile method of killing. But there was a pool of blood under the pile. It grew rapidly and he had to step back or he'd be standing in it._

_"__Soldiers!" he called, "What is this? Clean it up at once!" But he was alone. Alone with a pile of bodies. No, not just one. Hundreds. Hundreds of corpses that stared at him with dull, sightless eyes. He couldn't meet their gaze, their horrible eyes like demons risen from Hell, and looked down. He let out a cry of disgust. The blood was up to his knees now, and still rising. It rose and rose higher and higher. _

_"__I can't swim in this," he said. Suddenly, those piles looked like a pretty good place to escape from the rising tide. Steeling himself, he clambered up to the top. Had it always been this high? It seemed to be growing as he climbed it, but whenever he looked down the blood was only a few feet away. Was it really rising that fast?_

_Then, he reached to top. There was nowhere else to go, and the flood was catching up with him. Panic slowly wormed into his mind, devolving into mindless terror when something closed around his ankle. He looked down. One of the corpses stared up at him, a houndoom, with one of its legs bent unnaturally around his ankle. In a flash, Keski remembered her. He'd killed her in one of the many battles he'd been in. She'd leapt in to defend her mate and he'd ended both their lives. _

_He recoiled and tried to shake out of her grip, but another stirred beside him. An umbreon with half its face broken in. He'd been a doctor in the cave where Keski had rescued several of Northmarch's soldiers. Keski had stridden into his medical ward and executed everyone there, according to his orders. _

_The umbreon sank his teeth into Keski's arm. More stirred and wrapped themselves around him. They dragged him down, down, down. _

_"__Let me go!" Keski shouted, kicking and punching at them, "I am the Golden Saint! I am above you scum! Arceus' favor rests on me!" A growl escaped his throat. "Burn!" An explosion of aura escaped him, but it was not the same as before. Sickly black and blood-red, the colors of corruption and rage, those were its colors now. The breath caught in Keski's throat._

_"__No…" he said, "NO!" He looked at the pile of his victims he was standing on and his throat tightened. "Get away from me!" he cried, but this time in fear. He dove off the side and into the red ocean surrounding him. Immediately, he sank an kept sinking until red turned to black and his lungs burst for need of air. But then, a soft light appeared off to the right of him._

_"__If you seek true repentance__," a gentle voice said, "__Then come to my temple. The White Seer, my servant, will tell you what you need to do. Otherwise, the weight of your deeds will drag you down into oblivion.__"_

_Keski reached out for the light, but he felt his mind drifting away. His eyes closed and he fell into the darkness below._

Keski woke up in the middle of the night with claws at his throat. "Don't. Move," a harsh voice ordered. The lucario snapped fully awake in an instant and he tensed. A growl rose from his throat. "Your hands and feet are bound and we have soldiers standing beside every one of your friends. One false move, _lucario_, and they die."

Keski's mind raced. Cave was dark. No way to tell what sort of Pokémon the attackers were. Still night too. The eyes, though. They were a very familiar kind. He briefly scanned the Pokémon's aura and took a sharp breath.

"You're not from a guild, are you?"

"No."

"You're from the Midnight Kingdom," he said.

"Perceptive, but I should have expected that from one of you lying pieces of filth," the unknown Pokémon said.

"But this is the border of Northmarch."

"That is where you, my aura-wielding friend, are much mistaken." Keski could barely make out a sharp-toothed smile appear on its face. "As of last week, this territory is once again under the rightful rule of King Tyrone."

Keski cursed under his breath.

"Now, tell me who you are and what you're doing here and maybe I won't slit your throat in the next few seconds, hmm?"

"What have you done to everyone else?" Keski demanded, "Tell me!" The sound of many voices quietly laughing met his ears.

"The spores secreted by grass-types are wondrous things, as are the eyes of a malamar."

"You put everyone to sleep," Keski said, "And you woke me up. Because I'm a lucario and you want to know why I'm here."

"Correct. I'm so pleased you've caught up with the rest of us. Now…" The pressure on his neck increased. "Talk."

"I'm just a traveler…" Keski said.

"Liar. There are no 'just travelers' of your kind. Shall we wake up the riolu and ask him? We will not be gentle with him."

"An exile, then. Why does it matter?" Keski asked.

"Then why are you returning home?"

"Well, I've been exiled from two countries now," Keski snapped, "Doesn't leave me a whole lot of places to go, does it?"

"Then consider yourself very unfortunate," the Pokémon said, "You are now prisoners of the Midnight Kingdom. You will be taken to the Citadel and interrogated at Tyrone's leisure."

Keski glanced around. "You knocked everyone out, correct?"

"Yes."

"So…what did you do with the zoroark?"

There was a brief pause. "Zoroark…?"

"That would be me," Shadow said, "Now, step away from my friends, including Keski."

The Pokémon above Keski turned and replied haughtily. "Fool! This is the Midnight Kingdom and we are her soldiers! We will not let spies and invaders trespass without any conseque…"

Like a blur, Shadow shot forward and knocked the speaker away from Keski. He crouched down protectively in front of the lucario. "You hurt, Keski?"

"No." Keski tried to rise, but found he couldn't. "Tied up, but not hurt."

"Well, try and get yourself untied then," Shadow said, "Meanwhile…you there! Surrender and leave or I will put you all in an endless sleep."

Keski frowned. Shadow's help was nice and all, but why was he offering it? In all honesty their relationship had barely been a cordial one. Later, worry about that later. He raised the vines binding his rips to his mouth and bit down. Bleh, bitter. Oh, there was one other thing too. Normally, you'd assume that 'endless sleep' meant death, but the way Shadow said it implied he meant something…else.

"Impossible!" one of the assailants snarled, "How could a zoroark be _friends_ with a filthy lucario!"

"Um…" Shadow hesitated. "I'm afraid I don't understand…"

"Besides, we aren't exactly friends…" Keski muttered.

"Foreigners…" the Pokémon said in disgust, "Well if you're friends with him, you're no friends of ours! Take him!"

Two, glowing blue spots appeared above Keski. He gulped. Well, that was intimidating. Shadow's eyes could glow. Keep that in mind. "Don't say I didn't warn you…" Shadow said with a wry chuckle. The darkness in the cave deepened and the ominous crackle of energy filled it. "Now, I believe it's time you all took a nice, slow rest." There was the sound of several falling to the ground, fast asleep.

"He uses Dark Void!" one of the Pokémon shouted, "The power of the King of Nightmares! Darkrai has returned to us!"

"Hail Lord Darkrai!" the others cried in unison.

Keski choked and bit all the way through the bindings on his wrists. "Um, what now?"

"Darkrai?" Shadow said in confusion, "My name is Shadow…"

The first speaker laughed nervously. "Only one Pokémon can use Dark Void. I understand now. You've been tricking these Pokémon into working for you, haven't you?"

"No, I haven't. Now please, go away and leave us alone," Shadow said.

"You're DARKRAI?!" Keski snarled.

"No!" Shadow protested, "Maybe! I don't remember my past! The Starchasers took me in and gave me a place to call home! I…I…"

"Hail Lord Darkrai!"

Shadow sat down and put his head in his paws. "I'm feeling very confused right now. If everyone could just calm down and be quiet for a minute…"

"Yes, Lord Darkrai!"

"Don't call me that!"

Shadow sat perfectly still for ten minutes, eyes closed tight and body tense. Meanwhile, Keski finished freeing himself from the vines and ropes he'd been tied with. One of the Pokémon moved to stop him, but he growled. "Leave him," Shadow ordered and the Pokémon backed off.

"What species are you all, even?" Keski asked, "Can barely see anything in this darkness."

"We are many, but we are all Darklings."

Keski huffed and sat cross-legged. "So I'm surrounded by enemies, eh?"

"Yes."

"Peachy."

Bolt stirred beside him. "He's waking, Commander," one of the Darklings said, "Shall I…"

"Leave them all alone. And please, stand a little ways off. I need to think," Shadow ordered and they reluctantly acquiesced. Keski leaned over toward him.

"Please tell me you're not really Darkrai…" he said.

Shadow's shoulders slumped. "I don't remember…sorry."

"Are you still on our side?" Keski asked.

"Always."

"Well this is just brilliant," Keski said with a slight growl in his voice, "Look, I'd prefer not to fight them all, but they're more likely to kill me than let me speak. Since you're the only one I think they'll listen to, I suppose I'll have to trust you. But if Bolt is harmed in any way, I am holding you responsible. And you wouldn't like that, powerful as you are."

"What about if you get harmed?" Shadow whispered back.

Keski looked down. "That may not be possible. But I owe Bolt my life and I will do anything in my power to make sure his does not end."

"I understand," Shadow said, "And I think I have an idea. They're not just going to let us walk out of here, are they?"

"No," Keski growled, "Not me, at least, and probably not you. They hate my kind and they think you're they're god."

"Then we will have to go with them," Shadow said, "Hopefully, I can bargain with them to make sure we're going as honored guests and not prisoners."

"What about fighting?"

"You didn't notice?" Shadow said in surprise, "After they started going on about me being 'Lord Darkrai', a hundred more ran up from that tunnel in the back of the cave."

"A hundred…? Tunnel in the back of…?" Keski looked around wildly.

"We can fight, but there's no telling how many there are. There will be casualties on our side, maybe some deaths. And possibly Bolt," Shadow said, "I prefer to avoid that. And, if they think I'm their god, I can hopefully win them over. Make them obey me."

"Yeah…" Keski said, "Um…I have something to tell you. About my golden fur and why I thought that you were an assassin when we first met."

"Yes?"

"I'm…well, let's just say I'm public enemy number one here."

"Ah…that complicates things." Shadow mused for a second. "They're getting impatient. I think we're out of time. You said you'd trust me, right?"

"Right…"

"In that case, you are my personal servant. None of them may touch you or be near you. Understand?"

Keski weighed the suggestion and the situation in general. There really was no good option here. In hindsight, any plan they made would probably look very stupid. However, in the middle of the night with impatient enemies just a few meters away, he doubted they would come up with anything better than relying on Shadow's new position as 'Darkrai'. The very thought of it sent a wave of revulsion up his throat. Darkrai, the King of Nightmares and the one who had almost destroyed the world countless times. Even the idea of pretending to serve him was repulsive. But, it would give an excuse for his presence here and might keep them from looking at him too closely. All it would take was a little sacrifice of dignity. "That might help…" Keski said.

"It will have to." Shadow stood up. "Starchasers! Awaken!" He snapped his fingers. Like a spell had been lifted, everyone woke up at once. Shadow smiled at them. "Please, don't panic." Immediately, everyone became very nervous. "Hmm, maybe I should have started with something else…"

Slicer burst into the cave. "Is everyone all…" He spotted the large division of Dark-types in the back. "...Well, well that's interesting."

"Everyone," Shadow said, "It appears we are trespassing. Now, these kind Pokémon have agreed…" He gave the Dark-types a pointed look. "…To take a lenient view of the matter. They will take us to someone in authority to get it straightened out. Isn't that correct, commander?"

A bisharp stepped forward and saluted. "Yes, Lord Darkrai. Though what happens once we reach our destination is not up to us."

"Right. Oh, and one more thing." Shadow looked sheepish. "According to them, I'm Darkrai. There you go, nice short summary of what's happened tonight. I'm sorry, but you're going to have to trust me. I'll explain more on the way." He looked back at the commander. "Are we leaving now or is tomorrow morning do?"

"Now," the commander replied firmly.

"Well, okay…now then," Shadow said, "Um…everyone get up?"

"Do we have any time to discuss this?" Cyon asked, "You know, democratically?"

"Afraid not," Shadow said, "They outnumber us and all. And no, I'm not a traitor, I just don't want you to die."

In the end, they accepted Shadow's plan. More and more dark-types kept pouring out of the rear and soon it was entirely packed full. Their numbers put the idea of fighting or running completely out of the Starchaser's heads. Bolt stepped up beside Keski and nudged him.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked, "You know, with the whole…"

"I don't know."

"Well, I'd think you'd know. You're the one who told me about it."

"No, Bolt, that's not what I meant." Keski sighed. "I don't know if I'll be okay."

"What do you mean?"

"These people…hate me. They hate my entire race, but most especially me. I highly doubt I'll be 'okay'." He sighed. "I'm not even sure I'll survive…"


	12. Chapter 12: The Midnight King's Court

Chapter 12:

The Midnight King's Court

_"__I wept not, so to stone within I grew," Dante Alighieri_

Shadow found that the Darklings, as they called themselves, were almost always ready to submit to his desires, so long as they didn't contradict their duty. He secured food, water, and comfortable beds for all of the Starchasers, even Keski. The Darklings were very reluctant to give the lucario anything, but Shadow said very firmly that the lucario was his personal servant and was his to treat as he wished.

"And what about the riolu?" the commander asked, "It's been a while since we've had any sort of real fun."

"He's mine too," Shadow said, "And what do you mean by 'fun', because I'm pretty sure that it's quite different from the normal use of the word." The bisharp grinned and held up his claws. Alarmed, Shadow took an involuntary step back. "Ah. That's quite out of the question."

Over the next two days, the zoroark grew increasingly uneasy about his position. For one, the Darklings all fawned on him, bringing him all sorts of extravagant gifts and 'sacrifices', which he quietly divided among the Starchasers. They honestly believed he was Darkrai, which was uncomfortable but Shadow didn't want to try and disillusion them. After all, half the Starchaser Guild was depending on him. He couldn't afford to lose any leverage he had.

They passed through vast underground cities, all filled with Darklings. They were dark and gloomy places, with towers that soared high into the darkness above, narrow bridges crossing bottomless chasms, and dim mazes of passageways lit by too few torches. The air was always close and suffocating, even when they were in the open. The mood among the Starchasers became increasingly grim.

Both nights of their journey, the Darklings stuck the Starchasers all together in small, cramped caves. Only Shadow was spared. On the second night, Skipper asked the question that was on everyone's mind.

"Ye don't think that Shadow really be Darkrai, do ye?"

"Of course not," Keski said, "That would be ridiculous. Darkrai is the epitome of all that is evil. Not even Shadow could be that."

"Not even Shadow?" Yuki repeated, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"He's a zoroark…" Keski muttered, "But, granted, he is a much better one than the norm."

Yuki's eyes narrowed in fury. "Shadow is a Starchaser! Get that? He deserves a lot more than just 'better than the epitome of evil'!"

Cyon laid a paw on his sister's shoulder. "Give it a rest, Yuki." She huffed and rolled over to face the wall. "Yuki…"

"But how do ye know he isn't Darkrai?" Skipper pressed.

Keski sighed. "Well, if he were, we'd all be having nightmares, right? Now, I've had some, but if you all haven't…" He trailed off and looked around at their nervous expressions. "You've…all been having nightmares, haven't you?"

"Well…" Cyon said with a nervous grin, "Yes."

"I dreamed that I was all alone," Ryke said.

"Cold, hard stone," Slicer said.

"Great, so we've all been having nightmares!" Keski threw his arms up and turned around. "Wonderful."

"What about you, Keski?" Bolt asked, "Did you have scary nightmares?"

Keski stiffened. "Very." There was a long silence.

"Well…" Skipper said, "I suppose it will all be cleared up tomorrow, aye?"

The next morning, they arrived at the palace. It was a large, rough-hewn structure cut into the wall of a giant cavern lying in the heart of a mountain. Clanking gears and the roar of forges echoed in the cave and red fires lit up the darkness. The main gate swung open to greet them like a great maw. The place stank of sulfur and despair. "Behold the court of King Tyrone, Lord of the Northern Mountains!" the commander of their escort proclaimed, "Not even the Golden Demon himself could find it. We hid down here for years until he died. Now, though, we've returned and we're ready to wage war once again."

"Fascinating," Shadow said not too enthusiastically.

"Best get a move on," the commander said, "You're expected." To the Starchasers, he added, "And when you meet the king, kneel."

They were ushered inside, quickly and without ceremony. Keski felt the glares of hundreds of eyes fall on him, though they were hurried along too quickly for him to see who all was staring. Then, they entered into a large room, hewn straight from the rock. Of all the rooms in that subterranean kingdom, it was the most well-lit. Great pillars of stone rose into the air, supporting the roof. Great, iron chandeliers hung down to give more light, though the ceiling and corners of the room remained shrouded. Many species of Pokémon stood around the room, mingling and talking in loud voices, but as soon as the Starchasers entered their conversation turned into whispers. And in the exact center stood a great, obsidian throne upon which sat the largest and fiercest tyranitar any of them had ever seen. He was at least ten feet tall, with limbs as thick as boulders. His eyes flashed like wildfire and it seemed that at any moment the flames would burst out and envelope the room.

The commander saluted and bowed. "All hail King Tyrone! On your knees, trespassers!"

"Thank you, commander," the king said. He looked directly at Shadow and the zoroark took a step back. "So, you are Darkrai. We've been waiting for you to come back. What took you so long, eh?"

Shadow blinked. "Sorry?"

"It's been years since you appeared to us," Tyrone said, "And I hear you've changed. I'd like to hear an explanation for that."

Shadow rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, about that whole 'Lord Darkrai' thing, I think you have the wrong person."

"Take me for a fool, do you?" Tyrone said with a rumbling chuckle, "That cannot be the answer. I know your power when I sense it. I stood near you too often to forget. And I sense it now."

"I'm afraid I have total amnesia," Shadow said, "Don't remember anything. Even if I were Darkrai, I'm completely different now than I was. Understand? I'm no longer your god."

This caused quite a stir in the court. Cries of disbelief and despair. Of anger and outrage. The room threatened to devolve into chaos, but Tyrone raised a clawed hand and it fell silent once more. "Alzam," he called, "What do you make of this?"

A bejeweled zoroark stepped forward. His back was crooked and he walked with a limp, but a permanent smile as crooked as his back was stamped on his face. It was like everything he saw were tolerably amusing. "Well, I believe that he is telling the truth. His amnesia would match reports of de-stabilized portal transportation. The human from the future experienced similar effects."

"Human?" Shadow said in confusion, "What human?"

Alzam turned to him. "The one who foiled your plan, my lord. He came from the future to stop the destruction of the Temporal Tower, but while he was in transit, you attacked him in the timestream. This caused backlash all the way down the portal route and resulted in the exact same symptoms as you described."

Shadow folded his arms. "And what would this have to do with me?"

"Palkia's last attack, of course," Alzam answered, "After you were, pardon me, defeated by Cresselia, the human, and the human's friend, you opened a portal through the Dream World to escape. However, as you were going through it, Palkia appeared and fired one last shot. It struck you in the portal and…destabilized it." Alzam paused when he saw that Shadow did not understand a word he was saying.

"Dream World…? Backlash…?"

The zoroark priest sighed and smiled tolerantly. "Allow me to show you then." He extended his jeweled claws and before the eyes of the court an image formed. First, they could only see a dark, cavernous opening with dark clouds hanging overhead. Then, one by one, several Pokémon came into focus. In the foreground stood three: Cresselia, a leafeon, and a lucario.

Keski gasped. That lucario, that was the perfect image of… He paused. Well, a _younger_ image perhaps, but it was unmistakably him. He would stake his life on it. After all, how could he forget the one person in Northmarch who had treated him like a son?

"Master…" he said under his breath.

The image came fully into focus and the fourth figure was revealed. A revolting being wrapped in a black cloak lay on the ground, wounded. A strip of rotting, bloody flesh hung around his neck like a necklace and his one good, blue eye made anyone who looked at it shiver.

"We…did it," Cresselia said in disbelief. Her face hardened. "You've got no one left to hide behind, coward!" Light radiated from her, swirling around a point at her forehead.

"Face your fate!" the lucario challenged. He put his palms together and an aura sphere appeared between them. "I won't be deceived by your nightmares anymore!"

"We're going to stop you once and for all!" the leafeon added. She stepped up next to the lucario and her tail began to glow.

The light on Cresselia's forehead blazed like a beacon. "This is the end for you," she said and fired a sphere of pure light.

The dark-specter screamed as it struck him and flung him backwards. He lay still for several moments. Then, he rose again and chuckled weakly. "**C-Cresselia, don't you see? I said you could never catch me.**" He raised his hands and, before their eyes, a hole was torn in the fabric of space and time.

"Hey! What is that?!" the leafeon said in alarm.

He glanced behind him at a shimmering hole in the air itself. "**I do not know where this leads. This Dimensional Hole may take me to the future…or the past…**" A horrid grin split his face. "**Wherever it does, you can be assured that I will succeed! I have only been stopped in this time! I will simply plunge the world into darkness in some other time!**"

"Stop!" the leafeon ordered.

"You're not getting away this time!" Cresselia ordered, but the dark specter dove ran to the portal. The three pulled to a stop.

"**Too bad for you**," Darkrai crooned, "**I can slip away through time with just one step. You cannot catch me.**" He grinned and gave them a mock-salute. "**Good-bye to you!**"

"Darkrai! Wait!" the lucario ordered, but the specter stepped through closer and he stopped.

"**Well how do you like that?! Finally, in the end…it ends with my ultimate victory! Without any of you to stop me…no one will have the power to stand in my way! My victory is assured!"**

A voice from the sky shouted down to them. "I WON'T ALLOW THAT!" Darkrai looked up in alarm as the Master of Space, Palkia himself, plummeted down from the heavens and splintered the ground as he landed. The great dragon glowered and space itself seemed to warp and twist around him.

Now, Darkrai looked well and truly alarmed. "**P-Palkia?!**"

"YOU WILL PAY A GRAVE PRICE FOR MEDDLING WITH MY DOMAIN, DARKRAI!" Palkia roared to the heavens and began to glow. "I WILL NOT PERMIT YOU TO DISTORT SPACE ANY LONGER! THIS STRIKE SHALL END YOU!"

"**I believe I have overstayed my welcome,**" Darkrai said,** "Farewell!**" He dove into the portal and disappeared, leaving only the echo of his laughter behind.

"THERE IS NO ESCAPING ME!" Palkia bellowed and unleashed all his power on the rift. Darkrai's scream echoed throughout the entire world and then suddenly stopped. The rift in space and time cracked and sealed itself. Alzam snapped his fingers and the scene disappeared from sight.

"That is how it happened," the zoroark said, "Now, my theory is, and this is where it gets a little self-laudatory, when you came out the other side, weakened and with no memory, you took the physical form that was most familiar to you: that of a zoroark, your humble servants."

Shadow's eyes went wide and his frown transformed into a look of bewilderment. He slumped back against the pillar. "I…remember that. Vague after-images and impressions, but I r-remember…" He swallowed. "So all those stories, the stories of fear and terror, of darkness and destruction, are about me?"

"Yes! And now you've come back to us at the pivotal point! The tide of history has once again swung in our favor!" Alzam said with glee, "Never fear, my lord. Things may seem a bit confusing now, but once we restore your memory everything will make sense."

Keski sighed. "Well, I hoped it wasn't true…"

Shadow looked uneasy. "I'm not so certain that is the best idea…"

"Well you're not really in a position to judge right now, are you?" Alzam said, "Once you're restored, then you can decide. And, you will receive the respect you deserve. For now, though…" He turned to King Tyrone.

"You will be under my protection," Tyrone said, "Means you can't leave. We wouldn't want to lose you again, now would we?" Alzam smiled and nodded in agreement. "And when you recover, we shall welcome you amongst us properly. Though, I will warn you, you are no longer our patron. We have another, older one who guides us now."

"But…" Shadow protested.

"Guards, prepare a room for Lord Darkrai," Tyrone ordered, "One of the comfy ones, understand? The rest can go to the slave pens."

"Slave pens?!" Shadow said in alarm, "Now hold on just one moment here!"

Slicer rose with a primal hiss. "Slaves, we will not be slaves."

"Oh ho! Resist, would you?" Tyrone said, "Too bad. I don't tolerate spies and assassins I my kingdom."

"Spies?!" Ryke spluttered. The riolu rose angrily. "We're the Starchaser Guild! We aren't spies!"

A ripple of alarm went through the court and for a moment Ryke was proud of himself. He'd scared them and now they'd have no choice but to release everyone! But then, Tyrone's face split into a vicious smile.

"Well, well," he said, rising, "Starchasers, eh? Oh, I've heard about you. My old friend Lord Sable told me all about you. Said the Management was very interested in you." Now, it was the Starchasers' turn to be alarmed.

"Should have known Sable was working for the Midnight Kingdom," Keski muttered.

Tyrone looked around and frowned. "And where is Guildmaster Majyk, hmm? I want to smash his skull into little, bloody pieces on the floor, see? Can't do that if he's not here."

"W-why?" Cia asked, "Why do you want to kill the Guildmaster?"

The fire in Tyrone's eyes flared up. He strode forward, a wicked grin on his face. "Why? 'Cause _She_ ordered me to, that's why! I'm going to kill him, and all the other Seal-Bearers! Then, I'll conquer the whole world and burn it to the ground! An' whatever's left, I'll rule." He turned to his assembled subjects. "Isn't that right, boys?!" They cheered, whistling and clapping with delighted grins on their faces. "So Starchasers…if Majyk isn't here, where is he?" The Starchasers stared at him in shocked silence. "TELL ME!"

They exchanged glances and nodded. "We won't tell the likes of ye!" Skipper shouted.

"We won't betray our friends," Cyon said, "That would be unthinkable."

Tyrone glared. "Then I guess I'll just keep you all imprisoned here until he comes to running to the rescue. He won't leave his 'precious children' in my hands if he can help it, will he now?"

"You can't do that!" Ryke shouted, "That's illegal!"

"SILENCE! I AM THE LAW HERE!" Tyrone roared.

"Yeah? Well I…"

Keski laid a paw on Ryke's shoulder. "Just a suggestion, shut up and let us handle this, okay?" Ryke gave him a sideways look, but obeyed anyway.

"And now…" Tyrone's gaze fell on Keski. "Concerning the lucario."

Keski stiffened and met Tyrone's eyes unflinchingly. "Yes, your majesty?" he said with barely veiled hostility.

"First, you will kneel in my presence. On your face. And you won't look up," Tyrone said, "Second, you will tell me exactly who you are and what you are doing here." Keski glared at him. "Well? What are you waiting for? KNEEL!"

Slowly, ever so slowly, Keski dropped to his knees. Then, he bowed his head and lowered his eyes and knelt before King Tyrone. "That's better," the tyranitar grunted, "Now, who are you and why are you in my kingdom?!"

"Why do you think he's here? Because you kidnapped us!" Yuki said, eyes flashing.

"And it's really put us behind schedule," Cyon added, "I don't know how we'd make up for lost time, even if you released us right now."

"I wasn't asking you, little morsels," Tyrone said.

"J-just because he's a lucario…doesn't mean that you have to hate him so much," Cia added. The king glared at her and she let out a squeak of alarm.

"He's just a servant of mine," Shadow said, "A _personal_ servant. His black fur is my work."

"You gave him the Mark of the Night?" Alzam said in horror.

"Well, no," Shadow said, "I don't even know what that is." Alzam's mouth worked silently and the veins in his neck seemed almost ready to pop. "I-it's just dye!" Shadow assured him, "I haven't given him any gifts, no special powers or blessings, if that's what you're worried about."

"Dye?" Tyrone said, "So what color is his fur naturally then?"

"Uh, blue?" Shadow said. Bolt glanced at Keski nervously.

"If you don't mind, I'll see for myself. Soldiers!" Tyrone called, "Bring water! Give him a rinse! I want to see that fur and I don't care how much he struggles!"

"Um, there's really no need," Shadow said, "It's plain, ordinary…"

"He has mange!" Bolt shouted, "Ooh, don't want to touch him! All your…skin, your very rocky skin, will fall off and you will…um, die."

Tyrone was unimpressed. "Then why isn't he dead, hmm?"

"He's a…steel-type?" Bolt offered, "Duh. And it's a well-known fact of contemporary medicine that…steel-types are immune to mange. And very, very smexy."

"Smexy?" Tyrone repeated.

"Yes! Don't you know what smexiness is?"

"I believe," Alzam said, "That you put an extra letter in there."

"No, no." Bolt waved the concern aside with his paw. "Not at all. Course not. Smexiness and sexiness are completely different."

"And what is the difference then?" Tyrone demanded.

"Good question!" Bolt said cheerfully. He beamed up at Tyrone with all the happiness and good cheer he could muster. Unfortunately, Tyrone's skin was specially reinforced against good cheer and he glowered back. "Give me one moment to find a good answer!"

Tyrone stared at him impassively for a moment. "Bring that water!"

"Oh! I just remembered!" Bolt said, "What smexiness is, I mean!"

"Shut up, mutt," Tyrone grunted.

"Don't you want to know? I'm sure the curiosity is killing you!"

"You're the one who will be killed if you don't SHUT UP!"

"…did someone get up on the wrong side of the-"

"Bolt…don't bother. It's hopeless." Keski rose slowly.

"I told you to kneel!" Tyrone roared. He strode forward, looking ready to clobber Keski.

"Keski…" Bolt whispered, "Trying to save your life here…"

"Well you can't," Keski snapped. Bolt took a step back, a hurt expression on his face. Keski sighed and then took a deep breath. "King Tyrone! My name is Keski, son of the King and third prince of Northmarch! My fur is golden, for I am the Golden Saint, the greatest enemy of your kingdom!" All eyes stared at him. "And I am willing to trade my life if you will let my friends go free."

For a long moment, there was complete silence. Then, Ryke said, "You're a _prince_?!"

"Let them…go free?" Tyrone repeated suspiciously. He gestured to Keski. "Come here a second." Wordlessly, Keski approached, head held high and shoulders back.

"Your majesty?" he said coolly, "Will you accept my offer?"

Tyrone regarded him for a long moment. "You there, floatzel. Wash some of this dye off him. I want to see this for myself."

Skipper glared and made as if to refuse. "Do it," Keski said. Reluctantly, Skipper took a deep breath and doused Keski in a stream of water. It ran down his fur and pooled underneath him. It was noticeably black. Keski, on the other hand, was both wet and slightly, ever so slightly, golden. But it was enough.

"Oh-ho!" Tyrone said. The fire in his eyes flared up to even greater heights. "Well! This has been an interesting morning! Darkrai, the Starchasers, _and_ the Golden Demon all delivered to me at once! The Management will flip when they hear about this! Heh, even the _Boss_ 'll find this funny!"

"So how about it?" Keski asked, "My life for my friends' freedom?"

"Boy, do you even know where you are?" Tyrone snapped, "My kingdom, surrounded by my armies! My strongest troops are right here! I don't need to make a deal. You're already mine, got it?"

"That is true," Keski said, "But unless you accept, then you will die."

The tyranitar king leaned forward, towering over the lucario. "Oh? Why's that?"

"I've killed many of your subjects. Unless you release my friends, I'll kill you." Keski's voice was confident. There was no hint of uncertainty in it. "So what will it be? Me, your hated enemy, or will you try to keep them?"

Tyrone's expression was impassive. "Guards, take the Starchasers into custody. Send them to the pens and have the Slavemaster assign them their new roles."

Keski growled from the back of his throat. "Last mistake, your majesty." Flares of blue aura appeared in both his hands. "Care to rescind that order?"

"And after you've done that," Tyrone continued, "Bring chains and whips. We're going to have some fun."

Keski's paws clenched into fists. He chuckled softly. "Well guys," he said to the Starchasers, "Stand back. I'm going to make a mess." His aura flared and enveloped him for a moment. Then, he shot forward and it trailed behind him like the tail of a comet. He slammed into Tyrone's stomach with the force of a pile-driver…

…And bounced right off. He stumbled and fell on flat on his back. Tyrone looked down at him, but made no hostile move. With a roar, Keski bounded to his feet and unleashed an aura-charged punch on Tyrone's knee. It didn't budge an inch. He struck Tyrone's other knee, his stomach, his sides, and even gave him a stunning uppercut right on the jaw. The tyranitar took all this punishment with barely a blink. Keski fell back, panting, and the assembled Darklings laughed.

"Give it up, boy," Tyrone said, "My armor is impenetrable."

"I trained by shattering rocks," Keski said with venom, "And I proved my strength by shattering your people's skulls! Your armor won't stop me. I just have to hit the right spot."

"Bolt," Cia whispered, "Just…who is Keski?"

The jolteon gave her a weak smile. "Um, my best friend and adopted brother? But before that, the half-noble prince of Northmarch…"

"Well he might have told us that," Skipper grumbled, "Before we was captured, I mean."

Tyrone sighed and stood still. "Come on, pup. Show me what you got."

"Gladly." Keski leapt high into the air and slammed his fist into the floor. The ground shook and small rocks fell from the ceiling. But Tyrone stood unmoved. Keski unleashed a flurry of punches, kicks, and jabs with his spikes. Only a few chips showed that he had done anything at all. He gathered a small packet of aura in his hand and drew it back for a strike.

"Force Palm!" He slammed his paw into Tyrone's stomach with all his might. An explosion of blue fire tore the air around them asunder. Normally, it would be a crippling blow. But all it did was drive a little extra air from Tyrone's lungs. The crowd jeered at him.

"Satisfied yet?" Tyrone asked with a bored tone. Keski growled and pulled back his fist for another strike. Suddenly, the tyranitar brought his tail around and smashed it into Keski's side. The force behind it picked the lucario up, carried him a few feet, and then threw him off and straight into a nearby pillar. It cracked behind him and shards of stone flew across the room.

"Are we just going to stand here?" Yuki asked angrily, "We should be fighting too!"

"And how long do you think we'd last?" Cyon asked, "Look where we are! We're surrounded! As long as it's just Keski fighting, they're all content to stand back and watch. But as soon as we try to step in and help, they'll attack. And then we'll all go down faster than that cake we made last harvest festival."

Yuki huffed and turned to Bolt. "What do you think? He's your friend!"

Bolt bit his lip. "Um…well, I don't think Keski would like us interfering…He likes his fights, see."

"You're all cowards!" Yuki snapped.

"Now sis…" Cyon said, but she turned her back and huffed.

Keski slumped and fell to his knees in front of the pillar. A few trickles of blood appeared on his back. He grunted and rose to his feet, wobbled for a second, and assumed a battle stance. "Ow."

"Ya know," Tyrone said, "Doing the same thing over and over again is the definition of insanity, right?"

"I just hit you with enough force to start a landslide," Keski said, "And you aren't even scratched?!"

Tyrone grinned. "Oh ho! You're beginning to understand the situation, I see." He punched both fists together and crouched slightly. "Good…"

"Keski," Bolt called and glanced over at Yuki, "Do you need any…"

"Stay out of this, Bolt!" the lucario snapped, "Everyone stay back!"

"Well, there's your answer, Yuki…" Bolt muttered. She didn't look too pleased though.

The Commander stepped forward. "Alright, you lot!" he shouted, "That's enough sitting around! Follow me!"

"We're not going until Keski beats your king to the ground," Yuki retorted.

"Come with us now," the Commander insisted, "Or we'll all gang up on him and tear him limb from limb right in front of you!"

They exchanged worried glances. "We, we are in no position to resist," Slicer said.

"Ah, I see you understand," the Commander said, "Come along then."

"Rest assured," Slicer continued, "You will pay for this, you will. We will not be here long."

"If that helps you sleep at night," the Commander replied with an amused smile, "All of you! Come with me! You have an appointment with the Slavemaster."

"NO!" Keski darted toward them. Tyrone's tail swept around at his feet, but he hurdled it and delivered a flying punch to the tyranitar's stomach. Then, an overwhelming force crashed into his back and drove him straight into the ground. Something cracked in his body and pain flooded his mind. He tried to rise, but Tyrone's foot crushed him back into the ground. There was a loud 'whoosh' as all the air left his lungs and he gasped for breath.

"I'll admit, boy, you're stronger than the average lucario," Tyrone said, "But unlike any other Pokémon on this earth, I no longer have any weaknesses. My armor is impenetrable and the darkness that lives inside of me repels all mental attacks." He leaned down and pressed harder with his foot. "I've become the incarnation of anger and hate, boy. Ya didn't really think you could beat me in a fight, did you?" For a moment, he put all his tremendous weight on Keski. "Did you?!"

Keski growled and squirmed, trying to get out from under his foot. "Let me go, you scum!"

"Scum! Scum?!" Tyrone seized Keski by the scruff of his neck and hauled him into the air. "Who's the real scum here, because I don't think it's me! I prefer to use that term for the Pokémon who murdered hundreds of others just because his dear old daddy told him to!"

"I…" Keski fell silent and glared at him.

"Oh HO! Don't have much to say to that, do you?" Tyrone said with a dark chuckle, "Well, now it's time for some good, old fashioned revenge!" He tossed Keski into the air and brought his fist back. The lucario didn't even have an opportunity to try and form a block before Tyrone Dynamicpunched him all the way to the other side of the room. He spun head over tail, hit the floor, and bounced up into the air again right into the wall.

"Ugh…" Keski lay still. His eyes glazed over. Then, he shook his head to clear it and stood carefully. But as he straightened, a crippling pain lanced through his right side. He staggered and clutched at it. It was no good. He could only grit his teeth and endure it. Against his will, tears welled up in his eyes. He wiped them away defiantly. Broken rib. Maybe two. So what? Many soldiers had received the same injuries and kept fighting. Still, he hesitated. It was notoriously hard to break a lucario's bones. It was also very hard for them to heal…

"Aw…is the little mutt hurt?" Tyrone said mockingly. Keski let his eyes close. He swayed back and forth, almost ready to fall. "Oh-ho! All out of spunk already? Well, this is going to be a lot less fun than I thought." Keski slowly raised his head and one arm. Golden aura flared to life around his paw. There was a sharp intake of breath from the crowd, but Tyrone paid it no mind. "Oh? Some last trick of yours?"

"Boss! That's…"

Keski's eyes snapped open. They were pure, radiant gold. "Burn in the fires of perdition, King of Midnight!" Hunched over, with the golden flames of aura wreathing one paw and clutching his side with the other, he darted forward. The crowd backed away quickly, watching the flames with fearful eyes. Keski drew closer and closer to Tyrone, but the tyranitar refused to move.

"Well come at me, pup!" he taunted, "Show me this legendary power of yours!"

Keski's fist slammed into Tyrone with an explosion of blinding light. Bright flames raced up Tyrone's body and engulfed him. With a triumphant grin, Keski stepped back. "You should have run," he said, "Now you will die and nothing…"

A black mist enveloped Tyrone and swallowed the flames. The tyranitar stood unharmed. His mouth curled into a mocking smile. "Well, well! That wasn't so bad." He flexed and stretched, testing to make sure he was unharmed. Then, ignoring Keski, he turned to his subjects. "The power of the Forgotten One protects me! Heh, with me leading the charge, not even the stone walls of Northmarch's cities will stop us!" He clenched a fist and raised it high. "I will smash right through them! After all, I am invincible now. The Forgotten One has given me great power, the power to wield our wrath as a weapon!"

Keski stared at him in disbelief. "You…you aren't dead…"

Tyrone chuckled. "Stating the obvious a bit, aren't ya? Yeah, I just survived your 'legendary fire'." Keski took a step back. "Well? Anything to say?"

"But…no one ever survived…"

"First time for everything, pup!" Tyrone declared with something almost akin to gregariousness. He pulled back his fist. "Now, it's time for you to take a nap!"

He struck. Keski's eyes rolled back and he collapsed to the ground. Tyrone withdrew his clenched fist and smirked. Stupid lucario hadn't even tried to dodge. Probably still trying to process the fact that his aura hadn't even left a scratch.

Tyrone turned to the crowd and grinned. "Lookee here! The Golden Demon is ours! Without him, Northmarch has no hope of defeating us. In the meantime, we can finally get our long-delayed revenge!" The crowd cheered triumphantly. "Now, bind him! Chain him! Then, let's see that golden fur in all its glory so we can stain it red with his blood!"

Meanwhile, Alzam extended his paw to Shadow. "Come, my lord. You should rest. Besides, in your current state I don't believe you will enjoy watching."

Slowly, Shadow came out of the daze he was in. He nodded. "Yes…that sounds like a good idea. I need rest…I…I need to think…" He frowned. "Darkrai…is that really me? I still don't quite remember…"

* * *

"Alright! All of you, line up!" An imposing luxray stood on a raised podium and glared down at the Starchasers. "Friends of the Golden Demon, are you? Well, isn't that nice? Now stand in a straight line or I'll have you all whipped!"

"Whipped?" Cyon repeated in disgust, "What a crude, inelegant form of punishment."

Skipper looked around and his eyes narrowed. "Slicer. Ye know, there are much fewer guards down here…"

"Yes, yes I noticed," the kabutops replied softly.

"So what be the plan? Are we escapin' now?"

Slicer crossed his arms. "No. We need more information first. Avenues of escape, ways to avoid the garrison, and the quickest route to Northmarch. We need, we need supplies, and places to hide. Escaping now, it would be the quickest way to suicide."

"I was hopin' ye wouldn't say something like that…" Skipper sighed. "But I won't argue. As of now, you're the boss. What should we do then?"

"We protect each other, yes. Keep each other safe. If they start to focus on one, we divert their attention to the rest of us. That way, no one bears the brunt of this alone," Slicer said, "We do have one advantage, however"

"What be that?"

"They need us," Slicer said, "They can't kill us. We're bait for the Guildmaster. Kill us and they have no trap. It would be best if we made sure they kept needing us. All of us."

Skipper nodded. "Aye. I catch your drift."

"You! In the back! Shut up!" the luxray said, "Now, as I was saying, you will all be divided according to skillsets. Those with no other function will be sentenced to the mines. And believe me, you do not want to go there. So be sure you are very thorough with your resume, clear?"

"One question, if you please," Slicer said, "You are not a dark-type."

The luxray drew himself up. "No, I am not. That is why I am the here with you lot and not a member of the court."

"Question answered," Slicer said, "My…condolences."

The luxray smirked. "Save those for yourself. You'll want them."

"That, that was sarcasm."

The luxray scowled. "Funny…I'll deal with you personally." He shifted. "I am called Gaizer, but you are to refer to me as Slavemaster."

"So what's your name then?" Bolt asked.

"Gaizer. I just said that."

"No. You said you were _called_ Gaizer," Bolt countered, "You never said that was your name."

The luxray bristled. "You! Name and talents, quickly."

Bolt grinned. "My name is Bolt and I'm a bard. Story or poetry for me isn't hard. I'm a master of words and thinking on my feet. And I'm the craziest jolteon you'll ever meet!"

"Very nice poem," Gaizer said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Thanks!"

"That was sarcasm, jolteon!"

"I know!"

"You…you…GAH!" Gaizer pointed at Skipper. "You! Name and talents! NOW!"

"I'm the cook, mate," Skipper said, "Former pirate too, I might mention."

"Good. You're going to the kitchens, then. The head cook will decide what position to put you in," Gaizer said, "Oh, I should mention that poisoning the food is punishable with death by torture." He pointed at Cyon. "First glaceon. Talents? Start talking."

"My name is Cyon," he said, "And my sisters and I are entertainers, when we're not bringing evildoers to justice."

Gaizer looked closely at them. "You the sexy kind of entertainment?"

Team Snowpaw stared at him. "And what, do tell, is 'the sexy kind'?" Yuki asked with a dangerous tone.

"I believe he's asking if we're the kind of dancers that Chief Pyre likes to watch…" Cia said.

"Well we are most certainly not!" Cyon snapped, indignant, "We organize parties. We sing songs. We are especially good at ice sculptures. We make _art_, understand? We do not perform to satisfy base desires."

Gaizer shrugged. "You and the jolteon will just have to learn then. Disobedience is punishable with death by torture. You, kabutops."

"Slicer, I am," he replied, "And I hunt things. Kill them, if necessary. Is it necessary to kill you?"

"That would be unwise if you wish you or your friends to remain…alive." Gaizer smirked. "It's the mines for you then. We have no need of slaves on the battlefield. Same for the zigzagoon. The mines can always use the little ones who can fit in tight spaces." He grinned. "Now you, little riolu, what's your name?"

"Ryke."

"Do you know where you are, Ryke?"

He shook his head. "I lost track after we went into the tunnels. Somewhere up north?"

"I'll tell you where you are," Gaizer said, "This is the closest your kind will ever come to knowing hell on earth. Here, you will learn pain and torment. You will learn to scream, and when the blood finally drains from your body no heaven will await you. You will curse Arceus before it is over and renounce him entirely."

"He's just a kid!" Cia said in horror."

"The children of Northmarch will find no pity here."

"But I'm not from Northmarch!" Ryke protested, "I'm an orphan. I come from the Seafoam Empire!"

Gaizer's eyes were cold. "Then you are very unfortunate, aren't you?" He looked over the Starchasers. "Any who help him will be punished with…"

"Death by torture?" Bolt guessed.

"You're catching on," Gaizer said, "Maybe you'll survive a year."

"You seem to like this whole torture thing," Bolt said, "Ever consider another hobby? Perhaps ceramics? I've heard gardening is quite therapeutic. Never tried it myself. I always enjoyed digging holes in gardens instead. Once, I even dug through solid rock."

"Well put any thought of digging to freedom out of your mind," Gaizer said sternly, "Or else…"

"Death by torture," Bolt said, "Is that just the go-to punishment around here?"

"Yes. Hardly a week goes by without someone getting executed like that. It's the primary method of entertainment around here."

"So…what's going to happen to Keski then?" Bolt asked.

"Oh…him." Gaizer grinned. "He's special. They'll make sure he lasts a very long time…Guards! Take them away and give the riolu to the Keeper! She'll take care of him until his time comes."

Thirty guards stepped out of the shadows and herded the Starchasers out. Still, Slicer had to turn and give one parting remark. "This, this is only temporary. When we are free, you will regret the part you play."

"I'll keep that in mind," Gaizer said condescendingly.

* * *

Sable sat back in an armchair and went over the reports from the day. Good, Pyre's orders had been sent out. He should be arriving in the Capitol shortly. And since he was only allowed to bring one subordinate to the wonderful city of Tidewater, Lt. Cascade would be arriving too. Honestly, who else would he chose? And once they were here, well, it would be very easy to keep an eye on them, wouldn't it?

There were other reports, but they held little to no interest. Sable flipped through until he found the one on Mist. Daughter of Raikou…that had been a shock, no pun intended. That made Bolt the old thunderer's son. A disturbing thought… He carefully read the words on the page. Apparently, she wasn't exactly enjoying the grooming process. She probably needed a personal talk to convince her to go along with it. Get her to follow instructions here and eventually she'd obey in other areas as well. Possibly, she'd even become a loyal servant. Ha! Wouldn't that be ironic!

No news about the Starchasers as of yet. Hmm…maybe it was time to up the reward. Money always gets the guilds clamoring for the job. After all, they were greedy, just like everyone else.

_"__Greed."_

Sable jumped when he heard a voice in his head. Then, he smiled. He recognized it all too well. _"Hello, Wrath. Nice to hear from you again! Gets a bit lonely, after all. Envy won't speak to me, of course, and Sloth won't respond."_

_"__Not surprised. You and Envy were always at each other's throats and Sloth is a lazy son of a muk. By the way, Envy says you owe him a castle."_

_"__Yeah, yeah, shut up."_

_"__Don't tell me to shut up! Remember who I am, after all!"_

Sable grimaced. _"Oh don't get twisted all into a knot already, Wrath. Now, what did you have to say?"_

_"__I caught half the Starchaser Guild for ya."_

_"__Only half?"_

_"__What, aren't you grateful?"_

_"__Did you catch the Guildmaster?"_

_"__No. But you'll never guess who was with them."_

_"__Spare me the showmanship, Wrath, Lust was always better at it anyway. If you didn't catch Majyk, then who did you catch?"_

_"__Darkrai. He's lost his memory and looks like a zoroark, but it's him. The priest here confirms it. Also, I caught the Golden Lucario. They're washing the dye out of his fur now and putting him against the pillar."_

Sable's eyes widened. _"Hmm…perhaps we could make a trade."_

_"__Oh-HO! That's rich! What did you have in mind?"_

_"__I have…interest in that lucario. I'd be willing to trade for him. And the jolteon he travels with."_

_"__The jolteon? What's special about him? Other than being a first class pain in the tail."_

_"__He and the lucario are friends. That makes him interesting."_ Sable intentionally withheld what he had discovered about Bolt. After all, Wrath was easy to trick, so there was no need to pay him more. _"Well…I'm sure we can come to a deal."_

_"__I'm thinking! Give me a moment…"_ Wrath snarled. _"Sure, take the jolteon. I don't care. But that lucario caused my tyranitar host a lot of pain. I'm going to use that to stir up this entire kingdom to war. And you know how much I like war."_

_"__Fine. Save the leftovers of him for me. And make sure you're not distracted by this war of yours."_

_"__Oh, don't worry. The White Seer lives in Northmarch. I'll make sure to pay her temple a visit and smash it to pieces over her head. Who knows? Maybe she's a Sealbearer too! Now, I've said all I wanted to. Anything more you'd like to say?"_

_"__No. That's all."_

_"__Good, because I'm about to wake up the golden lucario and induct him into his new life of misery…"_

* * *

Keski awoke with the feeling of choking. He gagged and tried to pry off whatever was doing it, but found it both cold and unyielding. Then, he happened to lean back against hard stone and discovered he could breathe normally again, if not comfortably. His eyes fluttered open. He immediately shut them again to block out the light that lanced into his brain and the pounding headache that threatened to collapse it.

"He's awake! He's awake, boss!"

"Oh-HO! Well isn't that nice?" Tyrone said.

Keski quickly took stock of his situation, using all his senses other than sight. He was sitting down. The thing around his neck was a collar made of steel and bolted to the wall behind him. No, not a wall, a pillar. A pillar in the middle of the throne room. The collar would not move forward or backward at all, though it did slide up and down slightly. Other than that, though, he was not bound in any way. They must be confident that this collar would hold him. Well, there would be plenty of time to test that theory.

Keski cracked one eye open cautiously and, when his head didn't immediately explode, took a quick glance around. A horde of Darklings surrounded him, though not one of them stood closer than twenty feet. Keski smirked. Well, at least they were still scared of him.

Suddenly, Tyrone stepped in front of him. His great bulk blocked Keski's view of the others. "Well, pup!" he said in an almost friendly manner, "How ya feeling?"

"Like I was hit with a boulder dropped from a high cliff," Keski answered, honestly but with venom, "And I'm still ready for another round."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah." Keski tugged on his steel collar. "Take this off and I'll show you by breaking your face in!"

Tyrone chuckled. "Feisty, aren't you? I like that. So your name is Keski, I hear. Good to finally stick an actual name to you. Not just 'the Golden Demon'."

"And you're Tyrone." Unable to make threatening gestures without choking himself, Keski resorted to glaring.

"Not to you," the tyranitar replied, "You can call me 'your majesty', 'your highness', or even 'master'. Yeah, I like that one. Master."

Keski scoffed. "Master? Ha! You aren't my…" Tyrone's fist slammed into his chest, narrowly avoiding the spike. Spots danced before Keski's eyes. If his tongue had been in between his teeth, he would have bitten clean through it. He moaned and pain and curled up defensively, much to the crowd's delight. They cheered and jeered and laughed.

"Well now, that was effective," Tyrone said with a chuckle, "Did I hit something sensitive?"

"No…" Keski lied. He surreptitiously crossed his arms over the area to protect it. It may have been a futile gesture, but he didn't want to let Tyrone hit his broken ribs again.

"Well call me master and I won't hit it again!" Tyrone roared, "Bow! Kneel! Grovel! Beg for mercy you don't deserve!"

"Or what?" Keski snapped, "You kill me?"

Tyrone's eyes flashed. He drew back his fist for another strike. Keski flinched and shied away, but the tyranitar's fist smashed into the stone beside his head. It splintered and pelted Keski's head. One shard embedded itself in the tip of his ear. Another struck right above his eye. When he looked up, Tyrone's face was inches from his own.

"You bet I'll kill you," the giant lizard said in a low, dark voice, "But first, you will watch as each of your friends are tortured, torn limb from limb, violated, and finally, executed. Well, whatever remains of them at that point."

"Don't you dare!" Keski snapped, "They have nothing to do with this! It's me you want, right?! Well, you have me! Torture me! Tear me limb from limb! But don't lay a claw on them! Why would you even need to? I'm your enemy, not them!"

"Because it would hurt you too," Tyrone said almost gently, "You underestimate the power of hate. The overwhelming desire to hurt and hurt again. To tear something, or some_one_, apart bit by bit until there is nothing left. It's an intoxicating, all-consuming emotion. All other concerns, decency, propriety, morality, come second to it."

"If you hate me so much, why not just kill me then?" Keski asked bitterly, "Why bother with this…showmanship at all?"

Tyrone smiled, but there was no hint of kindness in it. "Killing you is not enough. We're going to destroy you entirely. Every emotion, every memory, every thought! And we're going to take out time about it." A shiver ran down Keski's spine, all the way from his neck to the tip of his tail. "Now…" Tyrone raised a fist, "It's time. What do you call me?" Keski was silent. "SPEAK UP!"

Keski flinched. Fear and fury clashed inside his chest. He wanted to strike out. Smite Tyrone and beat him to the ground. But the pain in his chest, both literal and physical, made him want to curl up and hide. He gritted his teeth and spoke. "Will you spare them if I surrender completely?"

"Now isn't that the question?" Tyrone grinned. "Tell ya what, you do exactly what I say when I say it and I'll even let the…" He paused. "Hmm…the jolteon go free." Keski's head snapped up. "He's more trouble than he's worth anyway."

"Then…" Keski took a deep breath and fought down the conflicting emotions in his chest. "I will call you master."

"Good…" Tyrone nodded to one of the soldiers in the crowd. There was a whirring sound behind Keski. Suddenly, the collar around his neck began to rise. Keski scrambled to his feet. It stopped again when he was standing on tip-toe. Tyrone grabbed a whip and said, "Now turn around. We're going to extract payment from you, drop by drop of red blood." Keski turned awkwardly. Even after he finished, his head was still turned to the side so he was looking over his shoulder. The collar was too close to the pillar for him to turn it all the way.

Tyrone held up the whip. "Now, who's first?" An old honchkrow hopped forward. "Ah, Mrs. Nightwing. How are you getting on without your late husband?"

"The nest is cold without him," she said in a croaking voice, "During the war, two of my children starved to death. I couldn't leave them or the ice wraiths would have taken them. I had to watch them die, right in front of me. If it weren't for you, milord, I and my two remaining sons would be dead too. Mr. Nightwing's death…" She choked. "…it killed all my happiness too!"

Tyrone handed her the whip. "Would you like to take revenge on the one who killed him?"

The crow sniffed and nodded. "I would, your majesty."

Despite her best efforts, not a single one of her strokes so much as made Keski flinch. Age had made her too weak. Eventually, she grew tired and passed the whip to another. But even the stronger ones barely did more than sting him. A lucario's skin is very tough and hard, much like living steel. But this was a torture far worse than a simple whipping.

"He killed my daughter! She'd barely become an adult. She'd be his age if she was still alive."

"M-m-my brother…that bastard killed my b-brother!"

"I found her body after the attack. She was completely split in half!"

"I was once a devout person. I once worshiped Arceus even. But after that mutt killed my entire family…"

"I miss him so much…"

"Curse Northmarch! I'll tear it down with my own two paws if I have to!"

"We weren't even a part of the war! We…we were peaceful!"

"All I want is my little sister back! That's all I want!"

"I don't care if I die! I want to lead the charge against Northmarch! I've got nothing else to live for now that they're gone!"

Tyrone held out the whip to each of them. "And would you like to take revenge on the one who killed them?"

"Yes."

Eventually, they stopped and left him. The lights were put out and only the dim illumination from the hall allowed Keski to see anything. His back was a bit sore, but other than that no _physical_ damage was done. It somehow struck him as familiar, as if he'd experienced it all before. Then, he remembered his dream. A pile of bodies dragging him down into an ocean of blood. His paw went to his collar. Dragging him down…like a chain around his neck.

He let out a small sob. Tears welled in his eyes. He raised his paws to wipe them away, but ended up staring at them instead. "I am a demon…" Part of him felt relieved to say it at last, but another part filled him with self-loathing for giving in. Surrendering his pride. Bending the knee before a _Darkling_. And worst of all, for agreeing with them.

Tears fell and he didn't wipe them away.

His ears twitched. What was that noise? The pattering of little feet in the hallway? Then, there was a voice. "Come on, Nightshade! He's in here!"

"Who's in here?"

"The golden lucario!"

"There's a golden lucario?"

"Yeah! They caught him and put him in the throne room! Hurry, before the Keeper comes and takes him away for the night!"

Two kits, an eevee and poochyena, ran into the room. The quickly spotted Keski and ran over. "Whoa…" the eevee said, eyes shining, "He really is golden!"

"I know!" the poochyena replied with a grin, "Pretty cool, isn't it?"

"Yeah!" the eevee tilted his head. "But he's crying…"

"Hey, you're right. You okay, Mister Gold?"

"I'm…" Keski quickly wiped away his tears. "I'm fine. Just…fine. Please, you shouldn't be here. I'm…dangerous."

"You don't look dangerous!" the eevee said.

"I…don't?"

"Nope! I think you're pretty! In a…male sort of way." The eevee looked sheepish. "Sorry…that wasn't quite what I meant to say. You're cool, not pretty." Despite everything, Keski chuckled. "I'm Nightshade! That's Moonpaw. What's your name, Mister Gold?"

"Keski. My name is Keski."

"Cool name," Moonpaw said, "Hey, I think I know how to lower this thing, if you wanted to sit down."

"Um…sure, thanks."

The poochyena grinned and ran behind the pillar. Seconds later, Keski was once again seated on the ground with the two kits in front of him. They stared at him curiously. "Why _are_ you chained to the pillar?" Nightshade asked.

Keski's shoulder slumped. "Because I am your enemy."

"No you're not," the eevee countered, "Enemies are mean. You seem nice."

"I am mean," Keski said softly, "I am…very mean. I'm a demon."

Their eyes widened. "A demon?"

Keski nodded. "Wherever I went, there was strife. Because of me, my father and mother fought. Because of me, thousands lie dead. And I killed them."

"Why'd you do that?" Moonpaw asked.

"All my life…" Keski's vision blurred. "All my life they told me it was the will of Arceus… Later, they told me it was Arceus' will that I die, for I was 'conceived in sin and an abomination before the divine throne'. That was when I realized that the 'will of Arceus' was just their way of justifying whatever they wanted. But it was too late to go back and change what I'd done…"

He sighed. "When father asked me to join the war, I thought it was a chance to finally get him and my brothers to love me. I wanted to hear people cheering my name for once, and I got that wish. But after the fighting ended, when the cheers died down, nothing had changed at all. I was still an inconvenience in my father's eyes. So I ran. I fled by boat, but they sent soldiers after it and sunk it. I washed up on the shores of an island, a wonderful, magical island. For a while, I was happy there. I forgot everything. I forgot the war, my brothers, and my father. I even got a new father, of sorts, a better one who really served Arceus."

"What was his name?" Nightshade asked, leaning his head on Keski's knee.

Keski chuckled and patted his head. "Raikou. Ever heard of him?"

"No."

"Ah, well he's quite impressive. He's like an enormous jolteon with giant fangs and a thundercloud on his back."

"Whoa," Moonpaw said, "He sounds cool!"

"He is," Keski replied, "But I couldn't stay there forever. And even though I tried to forget the past, here they remember it too well. And now I've dragged my new friends into it, including the one person I was supposed to protect. The one task Raikou gave me, and I failed." He sighed. "I've really screwed it all up, haven't I?" he said, more to himself than to them, "Everything I touch, I destroy."

Moonpaw put a paw on Keski's knee. "There's always tomorrow…right? Maybe tomorrow will be better."

"I may not have one," Keski said.

"That remains to be seen," a new voice said.

Nightshade and Moonpaw jumped to their feet in alarm. "Keeper!"

"Yes, I see you two. Run along now, or do I have to tell your mothers that you were wandering around in the king's throne room?"

The two kits paled. "We better go…" Nightshade said, "It was nice meeting you, Keski!"

"See you later!" Moonpaw called as they scampered away, "We'll bring toys next time so we can play!"

"Next time…?" Keski repeated.

"Well! Looks like you're popular," the Keeper said, "Oh, let me introduce myself. I'm the Keeper. You've already met my father, Alzam, I suppose? Yeah, I'm his daughter. I'm in charge of keeping the…special prisoners alive for as long as possible."

Keski looked her over and sighed. "I am really getting sick of zoroarks…"

"Hey!" She huffed. "Growing up really hasn't helped your manners much, has it?" She pulled a key off the large ring on her wrist and unlocked his collar. He stared at her in confusion. "Well go on! Get up. You didn't think you were eating and sleeping out here, did you?"

"Aren't you afraid that I'm going to attack you?" Keski asked.

"Nah. I know you. You'd never harm me."

"Oh?" Keski crossed his arms. "And why's that?"

The female zoroark blinked. "You don't remember? Well here, let's see if this helps." She snapped her fingers and transformed into a scrawny zorua. Keski's eyes widened and she grinned triumphantly. "_There_ you go!"

"Roa…" he said, "of course you'd be here…now I know Arceus has abandoned me."


	13. Chapter 13: The Speaker of Truth

**Chapter 13:**

**The Speaker of Truth**

"I tell you, milord, she's being absolutely impossible!" the purugly whined. Sable let out a slightly discomfited sigh. Third time. This was the third time he'd been called down personally to deal with some issue between Mist and the modelling department. When he took over management of the world, he'd make sure to ban any remaining Legendaries from procreating. Their children were just too much trouble.

"What is it this time?" he asked.

"Well, the first look we tried didn't quite work out. She just couldn't pull off 'high fashion'. Her posture was entirely wrong. So we, that is, Mikael and I, decided to go for a more 'exotic' look."

"Remind me who Mikael is?" Sable had to admit that, though he kept careful track of each of his employee's salaries, he had a much harder time remembering all their names.

"The chief artist, milord," the purugly replied, "He's the smeargel you hired a year ago. He's been making the print plates for the covers of all our publications. Ms. Mist was supposed to go on the cover of _The Wailord and Quagsire_, a very respectable weekly publication, but she flat out refuses to let our beauty experts handle her!"

Curse Raikou and his blasted children! "Right, let me talk to her," Sable said. Immediately, the cat perked up and offered to show the way. As they walked, she babbled on about whatever silly little things filled her head. Fashion, arts, etc. Sable paid only enough attention to occasionally respond with an 'indeed' or a 'oh please, go on'. Inwardly, he fumed. It might just be easier to lock Mist up in the dungeons, but if he did that he could almost count on some soft-hearted guard taking pity on the poor (and not half-bad looking) islander imprisoned for something she didn't understand. Word would get out and, with the lower classes as they were, there might be an incident. As it was, he could barely keep them diverted with a constant stream of religious publications calling for submission to the government as a sign of piety.

As his guide led him down the hallways, he dropped all pretense of listening and became wrapped up in his own thoughts. Yes, religion truly was the opiate of the masses. Ironic, since it was designed to lead them to the thrice-cursed throne of Arceus himself! But as long as it remained merely 'religion', a strict set of moral laws that no one without a lifetime's worth of study could even hope to comprehend fully, and none of those fools realized that there might actually be more to it than that, it posed no danger. In fact, it was one of his best tools for expanding his control over the population. Now, if only he could find some way to expand it over Mist and get her to comply, his day would be made.

The female jolteon was waiting patiently in her room. Well, the room that Sable had given her, that is. She smiled as the sableye entered. "Hello again! What's up?"

Sable pasted a smile on his face. "I heard you were being…difficult. Again."

Mist blinked in surprise. "Oh…" Her face fell.

"Care to tell me what the problem is this time?" Sable asked, slightly irritable.

"Um…" Mist hesitated and looked at the purugly.

Sable sighed. "Leave us, please."

"Ah…yes. My apologies, milord," she said and promptly stepped out.

Sable pulled a chair out from the room's only table and sat in it. "Now," he said in a businesslike tone, "What seems to be the trouble?"

Mist huffed. "They keep asking me to do stupid things. And the stuff they put in my fur stinks. Plus, they keep trying to trim around my rear. Do you realize how weird that feels?!"

Sable sat unimpressed. "Mist, doll, I thought you wanted this job."

"Not really," she said, "I wanted a job because I need money to continue exploring! I want adventure."

"Ah. My mistake," Sable said. He leaned back and clicked his claws together thoughtfully. "So tell me, Mist, what exactly can you do? What skills do you have?"

She thought for a moment. "Um…I can make sandcastles. I helped with the cooking at the last festival. I…can fight. Somewhat. My brother is better at that." She brightened. "Art! I can do paw paintings!"

"As can hundreds of others, and that's just here in the city. And they barely make enough to buy food to keep the pelts on their bodies," Sable said, "So, what you've just told me is that you have nothing really _marketable_ to offer, do you? The salary you would earn as a cook's assistant is a fraction of what I'm offering."

Mist frowned. "Wow. I had no idea things were that bad."

"Yes. I'm afraid so." Sable smiled. "So you see, your best option is to…"

"Why don't you do something about it then?" Mist suggested.

Lord Sable's diamond eyes narrowed. "What?"

"Weeeell, if things are really that bad and there are Pokémon starving out there, why don't you help them?" Mist asked.

Sable chuckled. "A naïve view. Being poor is an…incentive. Makes them work harder and more efficiently. Without the hardship of poverty, they'd never feel the need to climb out of it, would they? Then, we'd just be paying them to do nothing."

"I wasn't asking about 'we' though," Mist said, "I was asking about you. You have a lot of money, don't you? Buy the paintings they make! Help them yourself."

Sable ground his teeth, but managed to maintain a semblance of a smile. "Maybe there is something to what you say," he lied, "but the question before you now is whether or not you will continue in my employ or throw yourself on the, ah, _good graces_ of the public. And I assure you, that would be foolish."

"Well…" Mist mused, "It's probably best if I do…"

Sable nodded and allowed himself a moment of self-congratulation. Rule one of controlling people: whenever they bring up a topic you don't like, shift topics to one you are better prepared to answer. "A wise choice. I…" He faltered and a flicker of fear passed over his face. "I had better go now."

"Really? But I had some questions I…"

"Maybe later. I'm late for a meeting." Sable hopped off the chair and made for the door. "Make sure you follow these good people's directions this time! Otherwise I might reconsider your employment!"

"I will!" Mist promised as the door slammed behind him. She sighed. "I really hate the stuff they put in my fur though…"

In the hall, Sable let out a small sigh of relief. "A ghost haunting a ghost-type? Ha! That's rich. Not like he can do anything to me now. He's dead and buried." Still, despite this self-assurance, he moved at a brisk pace and left the building as quickly as he could.

* * *

Roa unbolted the steel door and heaved it open. "There you are!" she said brightly, "Home sweet home. And a nice, heavy door to…well, is it to keep you in or to keep others out?" She chuckled and stood aside. "After you, Golden Demon."

"Keski. It's Keski."

"Oh? Are we on first-name basis again?"

Keski huffed. "Roa, please…"

The zoroark shrugged and gestured again toward the door. "Fine, _Keski_. Now, if you would please go inside, your little friend Ryke is waiting to see you."

"Wha…? Ryke?" Keski clenched his paws into fists. "What did you do to him?"

"Me? Nothing." Roa grinned. "But the guards may or may not have scared him with all the things they'd like to do to him. And try as I might, I just am not the comforting type, you know? I think you'd be much better at that." She jabbed her paw toward the door. "Inside. Now."

Keski glared at her and stepped through the doorway. The inside was not exactly what he expected. Bare stone walls with bands of steel running across them like a cage did not exactly create a homely feel to the place, but it was well lit and there were cushions on the floor around a low table. It had everything a person could need to live in relative comfort. There was even a shelf crammed full of scrolls, papers, and books in the corner. A few more rooms branched off from the main one: pantry on the right, two closed doors beside it, and five small cells beside them. They were tiny rooms with a bed and not much else, though they were also well-lit.

"This is…nicer than I expected…" Keski mumbled.

"Like it?" Roa said with a chuckle, "I live here too, you know, being the Keeper and all that. Couldn't live in a dump, could I?" She pointed to the first closed door. "That's my room. No entering, understand? Girl-stuff. And that other closed door is the bath. Warm water flows in from an underground spring." She pointed to the middle cell. "That's where Ryke is. He won't get near me. Guards told him I'd eat him or something. He's so adorable when he's scared."

"Out of curiosity, you wouldn't actually…"

"No, I wouldn't. Blood and my stomach don't agree to well." She grimaced. "You're in the room closest to me. So I can keep an eye on you…"

"Great…" Keski drawled. He stepped away from her and made for Ryke's cell.

"When you're done, come out here and I'll see what I can do for your back!" Roa called, "Have fun!"

Keski found Ryke curled up in the corner, back turned to the door. "Go away!" the riolu shouted, "Just…just leave me alone!"

"Ryke…" Keski said softly, "Hey, it's me. Kesk-" The breath was forcibly driven from his lungs when Ryke slammed into his stomach and hugged him. Keski hesitated a moment, then wrapped his arms around him and lifted him up. "You okay?"

"They…they said they were going to kill you…" Ryke sniffed. "And then me…and they were very specific…" He shuddered. "Keski? What's a rack?"

"It's a torture device," Keski answered grimly, "They tie you down and slowly pull you apart with ropes. Eventually, your bones snap and…" Ryke stared at him in horror and terror. He clung to Keski tightly and began shivering. "Um…sorry. Probably didn't help."

"No…" The riolu swallowed. "We're…we're getting out of here, right?"

Keski sighed. "Course you are," he said, "Don't worry. I'm sure everything will be just fine."

"Well!" Roa said brightly. She leaned against the doorway and grinned. "Isn't this a cute little scene!" Keski glared at her. "Oh don't give me that! He could almost be your son."

"Why are you doing this, Roa?" Keski asked.

She smirked. "Doing what?"

"You were always aggravating, but this…I don't even know what to make of you right now…" Keski said, "Are you an enemy? A friend? If you are, I don't deserve your friendship anymore, but I'd be very grateful for it."

"No," she said in a cool, distant tone, "You don't deserve it. But…" She shrugged. "I'm not your enemy here either. I'm the one member of the court you can trust when I say that I don't mean you any harm. Anyone else tells you that, they're lying. Little tip there, free of charge! But…" Her nose wrinkled. "Right now…I'd appreciate it if you both took baths. You stink."

Ryke glanced between them. "Do you…know each other?"

Keski let out a sad sigh. "Once, she was a friend."

"Is that all you're going to tell him? Well then, I suppose I won't be the one to disillusion the cute little guy about his great hero," the female zoroark said, "Now! Baths."

"…Roa…" Keski said, "Do you hate me?"

She cocked her head to the side. "No. Not anymore." She smirked. "There are too many around here who do. I always did like standing out. Going against the crowd. So!" She clapped her paws together. "Consider this your haven. Here, no one will harm you. I will make food for us and I will tend to whatever wounds they inflict upon you. Just don't think that this is supposed to be kindness. Well, on my part it is, but from Tyrone I can't think of anything crueler. All I can do is prolong your torture, I cannot get you out of it. The things I do, the hearty, tasty meals, the medical treatment, the nice beds and good rest, ha! It's all pointless in the end!"

For a moment something changed in her eyes, but it was only there for a moment. "Anyway, baths! Now. I'll make dinner, yeah? We'll eat it together when you're done. Remember! The army marches in ten days! Survive that long and you'll find your life-expectancy greatly increased."

The water was warm, almost hot, and very soothing. The two prisoners sank into it and sat in silence. Ryke was visibly troubled. Keski's expression was blank, though the riolu could detect intense sadness radiating off of him. Ryke looked down and hesitated.

"Keski? May I ask you a question?"

"…"

"Are you…I mean, is what you said true? Are you really a prince?"

"Half of one, anyway," Keski said with a growl, "In Northmarch, lucarios occupy most of the positions of power. My mother was one of the king's imperial guard. They grew too fond of each other during one of Northmarch's 'crusades' and I was the result."

"Oh…" Ryke said, _very_ softly, "And did you really kill a lot of Pokémon?"

"Without a shred of mercy," Keski replied, "The only ones I refused to kill were the kits. I…well, Roa and I were friends for a while. I had to justify my actions against the Midnight Kingdom and my friendship with her. So I convinced myself that the kits weren't evil, but all their parents were. That meant I was actually doing them a _favor_ by murdering their mothers and fathers."

"I never knew my parents," Ryke said, "You weren't doing them any favors at all."

Keski jumped to his feet, face a mask of fury. "I know that now!" he roared, "And I don't need another person making me feel like the worst Pokémon on earth, thank you very much! I've changed! I'm different now! If only they'd give me a chance to prove it, I'd…"

Ryke scrambled away from him and pressed himself against the wall, eyes wide with fear. Immediately, Keski's heart sank into the pit of his stomach. "Hey, come here a sec." Ryke shook his head. "I'm sorry, Ryke," Keski said, "You didn't deserve that. I shouldn't have snapped at you. It's just…it's just been a very, very bad day."

Ryke nodded and slowly detached himself from the wall. "I'm scared, Keski," he said, "If you…if you turn against me too, I don't know what I'll do."

"I know." Keski opened his arms for a hug and Ryke accepted it. "As long as I am alive, I promise that no harm will come to you." He held the riolu close. "I'll go out in a blaze of fire and death before I let that happen."

For a moment, there was silence. Then, Ryke spoke once more. "Keski? Remember how Roa said that this was the cruelest thing Tyrone could have done?"

"Yes. I remember."

"Well, I wonder if she was talking about for us or for herself."

* * *

"You are Darkrai."

"I said shut up!"

Alzam laughed and skipped aside. Shadow's wild swings didn't even come within inches of him. "Come, my lord, why don't you tap into your real power?"

"**Yes…** NO!" Shadow pointed to the door. He ground his teeth together. "Just. Leave."

Alzam bowed. "As you wish, I will give you some time to…collect yourself." The crooked zoroark limped out and closed the door behind him. There was a faint click as the lock slid into place. Shadow growled. No getting out that way. This room was opulent and filled with all sorts of luxuries, but it was still a prison. He took a seat on the silk coverlet of his bed and sighed. Yes, all the luxuries he could think of, though Alzam said it was missing one. He had offered to fetch it for him and Shadow had been curious, until he learned what it was. The Midnight Court apparently had a large collection of slaves set aside for their beauty or other attributes that made them unfit for work but very fit for pleasure. Shadow shivered and quickly muttered a prayer that his friends would not meet that fate.

"**Oh please…this is quite pathetic**. **Me praying to Arceus? I could almost weep.**"

Shadow gritted his teeth.

"**Give me control. I can get us out of here easily. Your abilities are a pittance compared to my, ****_our_**** full might!**"

"You are a monster," Shadow said, "I will not give you anything."

"**And you are a thief! This is my body, my power, my life! You stole it from me and now I want it back!**"

"No!"

"**You cannot deny me.**"

"Try me."

"**Shadow…**"

"All that you are is a face in my memory. The rotting remains of a nightmare," Shadow said, "Well I'm awake now. That nightmare is over."

"**Ah Shadow, this is not a dream. This is reality. This nightmare will never end for you. Give me control and…**"

"Never! I will control you instead."

"**You can't control me! I live inside you, foolish zoroark! Each day you will feel me devour your soul piece by bloody piece. In the end, nothing will remain of this…****_lie_**** that has replaced me.**"

"Really?" Shadow laughed bitterly. "You want my life so bad? Well take it then! Go on, smite me! Swallow me in a nightmare and leave me broken!"

"**…**"

"You can't, can you? Because I am in control now. You are nothing more than a memory. _My_ memory. And that is all you will remain."

"**Oh, poor, poor, Shadow. You don't see it, do you? I am a part of you. I will always be a part of you. You don't even remember me properly yet. But you will. I am only a part of your memory, yes, but I will become such a large part that you will not be able to block me out. Every action you take will remind you of something I did. And you will be tempted to do the same. It is so easy, my way is. To fall is easy, it is standing that is hard.**"

"Your words are poison to whoever listens," Shadow said.

"**Then I should be glad to have a captive audience!**"

"Shut up! Shut up and crawl back into whatever recess of my mind you hid in before today!"

"**You know, I've corrupted many humans and Pokémon in my life…**"

"I said shut up!"

"**But never have I had the opportunity to corrupt myself. This should be fun…**"

Shadow's claws dug into the bed and tore the mattress. "SILENCE! ARCEUS DAMN YOU! Arceus…" His eyes watered and he looked towards the ceiling. "Please…help me…"

He curled up on the bed and wept, but though he did not notice it, he was not troubled by the voice in his head or Alzam for the rest of the day.

* * *

_The next day…_

"And so the great hero did say to the wicked beast, "Hold! Turn and face me! The judgment of Kyurem, bringer of balance, is upon you!" But the great beast laughed and scorned the hero's warning. He rose up on great, red wings and made war upon the mountains and the seas. Angered, the hero, bearing the legendary sword of his father, charged into battle with him."

Bolt stood in front of Tyrone's throne, reciting 'The Lay of Kyurem's Champion' to the court. No one knew exactly when it was written or what sort of Pokémon the main characters were, but it was an ancient story. Some said it came from before the Great Cataclysm when the human species still roamed the earth, but there was no conclusive evidence for that.

It was day two of their captivity. Keski lay chained against the pillar, though for the moment they were ignoring him. Bolt intended to keep it that way. He glanced back at Tyrone and shuddered. No one had ever survived fighting Keski, no one. What sort of monster must he be if he could?

"The brave hero strode forth with bare blade in hand. Though the monster raged and burned with hellish fire, he was not dismayed. He struck and his blade struck true. He pierced the monster's steely hide and spilled its blood upon the mountains. Let this, then, be a lesson. Do not be like the monster, but the hero. If you must fight, it is better to fight to protect something than to destroy it."

To his surprise, they applauded. "Another!" one called.

"Sure!" Bolt said cheerfully, "Would you like 'The Clumsy Custard'? Or maybe, 'Farmer Tanner Banner of Riverbend'?"

Tyrone chuckled and patted him on the back with his heavy paw. "Nah, that's enough for now. Sit and someone'll bring you something to eat." The tyranitar raised his voice and spoke to the crowd. "Ten days! Ten days and we slay _our_ monster! We march to war and make our homes safe once again!"

The crowd cheered. Bolt, however, sighed. "They missed the entire point of the story. Modern literary criticism at its best…" he muttered.

"Excuse me?" Tyrone said. Bolt looked up sharply and realized that he'd been overheard. He grinned at the king sheepishly.

"Um, binary witicism!" he said, "It's the act of making a dual-sided pun! A pun on a pun! Twice the puns, half the price!" He cleared his throat. It was very dry all of the sudden. "Speaking of puns, what do you get if you dress an eevee up as a berry? A Luncheon…" He gulped. "Um…forget I said anything about eating my species…"

Tyrone stared blankly at him. "Well, you're a good storyteller, kid, but I think someone must have dropped you on your head when you were younger. You're not making any sense."

"Yes, your majesty!" Bolt saluted and licked his lips nervously, "A lot of people tell me that!"

Tyrone grunted and turned his attention away. "Where was I?"

"Misinterpreting a great story…" Bolt muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing!"

Tyrone looked suspiciously at Bolt, but refrained from any threatening moves. "Right. So, ten days! Will you be ready, my subjects? Ready to make a war so grand, so fearsome, that it will never be forgotten?!" They cheered and raised their fists into the air.

"Wow, that was a horrible motivational speech," Bolt said. Tyrone glared at him. "Here, let me try." He trotted in front of him and cleared his throat. "Friends! I come before you today to address a subject near and dear to my heart! For centuries now, a great evil has lain claim to every household, every kit and mother, every warrior and farmer! But today, today is the day that we will drive it from this place forever!"

All eyes stared at Bolt, most of them very confused. "Would you like to know what it is? Would you dare learn the name of the vastest of evils that this world knows?" Hesitantly, a few paws raised into the air. "Alright! Then I ask you to look around the room! Look at the ceiling, the walls, the floors! Look closer! No, closer! Almost there! Even closer! There! Do you see it?" Bolt pointed at the roof. "Right there! The greatest evil of all time!"

"Don't you see it? No, you can't?" They shook their heads. "Huh. Well that's odd. It's dirt, of course!"

They stared at him. A bisharp hesitantly raised a hand. "Dare I ask why dirt is the greatest evil of all time?"

Bolt smiled indulgently. "Because electricity is useless against it! And it gets everything _dirty_."

"It's dirt," the bisharp replied, "It does that."

"Exactly!" Bolt smiled happily. "So glad you understand!"

"What? I don't…"

"So! Pull out the mops! Arm yourselves with brooms! Let no speck of dirt remain in this fortress!" Bolt declared. The Darklings exchanged glances but made no move to leave. "Also…I believe that there cookies in the kitchen…"

"Cookies?!" an elderly murkrow in the back squawked. It immediately took off into the air and shot back toward the kitchen.

"Yes! So everyone, go get some baked deliciousness! Hurry, before they're all…eep!" Bolt was hauled into the air by the scruff of his neck and found himself staring Tyrone right in the face. "Oh! Hi again, your majesty! Did you like my speech?"

Tyrone's eyes studied him. "I think Greed must have been mistaken," he said to himself, "What is so special about you, hmm? Other than the fact that you're crazy."

"I'm…afraid I don't understand what you're talking about!" Bolt said cheerfully.

"Cut the crud, jolteon," Tyrone snapped, "I have a friend who's interested in you. Any idea why?"

Bolt glanced over at Keski, who shook his head slightly. "Well, who's your friend?" the jolteon replied with a friendly grin, "Maybe I'd know if you'd tell me." He kicked his hind legs idly. "So…you going to just suspend me like this all day?"

Tyrone snarled and set him down roughly and turned back to his subjects. "Yeah, so…ten days. Be ready and that's all." There was an awkward silence. Tyrone growled and glared at Bolt. "Bring out the next entertainment!"

The doors opened and Team Snowpaw was escorted in by armed guards. A few of them looked a bit frosty, but the three glaceons looked none the worse for the wear. They did look quite disgruntled, however.

Bolt grinned and waved. "Hi! Cia! Hi Cyon and Yuki! How have you been?"

Tyrone placed a heavy paw on his back and leaned close to him. "Do us all a favor. Shut up. You're not allowed to talk until we want another story." Bolt gulped and nodded. The king looked up at Cia and Yuki. He smirked. "Well! Don't you look lovely?" He took a seat and leaned back. "So, what will you be doing for us today?"

"Nothing," Yuki said with a growl, "We aren't dancing for your sick and twisted enjoyment."

Tyrone grinned. "She called us sick, boys! What do we think of that?" Laughter echoed through the chamber. "Well, if you won't dance, then we'll have to make you! Maybe a few lashes will get you in the mood to step lively, eh?"

Cyon stepped forward, frost gathering around his mouth. "You will not lay a claw on either of my sisters. Well, not unless you, ah, fancy being flash-frozen." He spoke lightly, but with deadly intent. "You see, I'm rather attached to them. I truly pity the one who lays a claw on them. That person won't thaw until next summer."

"Oh don't worry," Tyrone chuckled, "You won't need to worry about them. I'm sure we can find someone to keep you…occupied." He rose from his throne with a grin.

Bolt smiled uneasily. "You know, I could always sing another song…I'm glad to do that. There's really no need to…"

"Shut up, jolteon!" Tyrone roared, "Grab them, boys! Let's have some fun!"

"Tyrone!" Keski snarled. He leapt forward, but the chains pulled him up short. "In Arceus' name, stop! Please, leave them alone!"

Tyrone smile would have been friendly in any other circumstance, but Keski was not fooled. A chill went down the lucario's spine. "But Keski," the tyranitar said, "I'm sure you remember, right? This is part of your torment too."

"Tyrone, I beg you," Keski said, "Stop."

In response, the king punched him right in the chest. Keski choked and a trickle of blood leaked out of his mouth. "Aw, I'm sorry." Tyrone leaned in close. "Was that your broken rib?"

"Y-you bastard…"

"Bastard? No. I think you're the real bastard, half-prince."

There was a loud 'knock, knock, knock' at the door. "King Tyrone!" a guard called, "It's him, sir. He's back again."

"Well tell him to go away!" Tyrone shouted back, "We're busy."

"Yes sir!" The sound of something being exploding came from the other side. The guard's muffled grunt of pain followed immediately afterwards. The door burst open and a ninetales strode in, head held high and eyes filled with fiery intensity.

"King Tyrone," he said, "We have things to discuss."

The tyranitar rolled his eyes. "Well, well, the self-proclaimed prophet arrives. What is it this time, Ninetales, hmm? A plague will smite me dead if I don't repent and turn back from my evil ways? Or did you come to tell me something helpful, like who will win the next gladiatorial match down in the arena?"

"I come with a message from the Arceus, as always," the Pokémon replied. Keski's head jerked up, but he said nothing.

"And I suppose that you won't leave until you make sure we've all heard it?" Tyrone said.

Ninetales blinked. "Of course not."

"Heh, didn't think so. Well, let's get this over with." He moved back to his throne and plopped down. "So, 'Speaker of Truth', what's the latest word from Arceus, hmm? Maybe he was considerate and gave us the weather forecast?"

The newcomer strode forward into the middle of the room. His voice rang throughout the chamber and resounded even up to the ceiling. "Hear me, citizens of the Midnight Kingdom! You have suffered much, do not compound your suffering with needless warfare! Nothing but your own destruction will come of attacking Northmarch. True, you may triumph in battle for a day, but in the end not even the stone from which this palace is carved will remain! So says Arceus, let they who have ears hear and understand."

Tyrone sighed. "Well, Arceus only knows how to say one thing then. This is the same hogwash you've been feeding us for years! Has it come true? No. Empty words, that's all it is. And I think your head is just as empty!"

Ninetales met his eyes evenly. "So speaks Arceus," he said, "And Arceus is never wrong."

"Isn't he?" Tyrone chuckled, "Well, we have our own divine help! The Queen of Air and Darkness has promised us victory and as a token she sent one of her new servants!" He looked up at the ceiling. "Oh Eon! Get down here, boy! Time to put on a show!"

In a flash, a Pokémon appeared at the king's side. He was very clearly a latios, none could say otherwise. He matched the description given in all the stories. The only difference was that they never mentioned him having such dark blue feathers. They were always said to be light and lustrous, but these were dark and almost black.

The new arrival bowed to Tyrone. "You called?"

Cia gasped. "That's…" Yuki and Cyon clapped paws across her mouth.

"We know," Cyon said, "Don't. Say. A word."

Ninetales stared at him in disbelief. "Eon?! What are you doing here? And on Tyrone's side too?"

"Oh, I've been saved and now serve my queen," Eon replied, "As everyone will eventually. Her power grows by the day. Soon, she will reach out and touch the world once more. And then, you'll wish for the good old days when all you had to worry about was Yveltal or Giratina going on a rampage." He clenched a fist and grinned. "Who knows? Maybe she'll let me crush that imposter Mew myself! Ha! That would be a treat."

"Eon, what has come over you?!" Ninetales snapped, "You're a hero!"

"Wrong! I _was_ Arceus' little messenger boy! Me and my sister ran around, delivering his mail for him and being good little guardian angels to whoever he wished." Eon glared. "But now… I've unlocked my true potential. Check this out." Sickly, purple energy flared up and coated his wings. His form blurred and, moving faster than the eye could track, he flew right over Keski's head. The lucario ducked, more by instinct than anything. He looked up and blinked. The pillar had a huge gash through it. It could have fallen at any moment. The two halves were completely detached and only the roof prevented it from collapsing.

"Eon!" Tyrone shouted, "Control yourself."

"Well sorry," the legendary snapped, "I'm just giving them a demonstration." He turned to the court and smirked. "Hear me, citizens of the Midnight Kingdom! Northmarch may claim the power of Arceus, but he is an impotent god! I am one you can see, touch, and hear! And I say that Northmarch will fall. I will personally lead the attack and, with the blessing of Yveltal, god of war, and the Queen of Air and Darkness, divine justice shall be dealt upon them!"

The Darklings cheered. Tyrone grinned and glanced over at Ninetales. "Anything else to say, prophet?" Ninetales remained silent. "Then there's no more reason for you to be here. Leave." To his surprise and delight, the ancient kitsune complied and turned to leave. Then, his eyes fell on Team Snowpaw. "You three! Get out of here! I don't want to see you here again for the rest of the day!" They stared at him in surprise. "Well? Go! Get out of here!" Without any further encouragement, they dashed out the door. Eon laughed.

"Run, little foxes, run!" he called.

"Now Eon," Tyrone said, "Talk to me for a minute, would you? Tell me how…"

Keski watched as the Ninetales passed by. "Hey."

He nodded absently, eyes on Eon. "Greetings."

Keski shifted uncomfortably. "Are you really a servant of Arceus?"

"Yes."

"I had a dream. He spoke to me."

Ninetale's head whipped around. His eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"

"I'm…" Keski sighed. "I'm Keski, third prince of Northmarch. And you?"

"I am Ninetales." He held up a paw. "Yes, I know that is the last name of my species. That's because it was named after me. Now, about this dream you had?"

"Right…" Keski lowered his voice, "I was drowning in…well, in blood, and a voice told me that if I truly sought repentance that I needed to seek out the White Seer. So if you know him…"

"Her," Ninetales corrected, "The White Seer is one of my daughters. She's been around since before the humans left."

Keski blinked. "How is that…"

"She's very old."

"Oh. Right."

Ninetales examined him for a long moment. "Do you?"

"Excuse me?" Keski asked, "Do I what?"

"Do you seek repentance?"

"Yes! Well, of course."

He smiled approvingly. "I suppose we'll find out. When you escape, come find her at the Snowpoint Temple." He cleared his throat. "I must admit, Eon's presence here is…confounding. Would you…would you read his aura for me quickly?"

Keski sighed and focused on the latios. He frowned. His aura was eerily similar to the cacturne and hariyama that had attacked Seaside Crest. "It's…dark, but it doesn't seem natural. I met Pokémon like this before. They were both incredibly powerful and evil."

Ninetales was visibly disturbed. "That's not Eon at all… But…thank you. I will look into this." He rose and raised his voice. "Tyrone, I will take my leave now."

"Aw, going so soon?" Tyrone chuckled. "We were just getting to know each other."

Soul smiled humorlessly. "Another time then."

"Well, be quick about it! I already told you to leave once!" Tyrone warned, "After I'm done with Northmarch, your precious temple won't be around to send pests to bother me!"

Soul inclined his head. "I will keep that in mind. Goodbye, your majesty."

"Yeah, whatever," Tyrone muttered. He leaned his chin on his giant paw and glared at Soul's back until the door shut behind him. "Well now he's gone," the Armor-Pokémon growled, "Someone make sure he stays gone. Permanently."

"I can take care of it for you," Eon offered, "Say the word and there won't be enough left of him to make a fur napkin."

"No," Tyrone said, "Let me show you what my boys are capable of." He pointed to the nearest five. "You! Go and get rid of that bastard for me, huh?" They saluted and dashed out.

"As you wish…" Eon's feathers ruffled. He crossed his arms and floated off to the side in a huff. Bolt glanced around and, seeing no one was paying attention to him, stepped up to Eon. He cleared his throat, but the darkened legendary ignored him. So he tried again, a bit louder.

"Psst, Eon," he said. The latios looked down at him blankly. "What happened to you? Eona was worried about you and now you're… what did they do to you?"

He blinked. "You know my sister?" He leaned downward so they were nose to nose. "Where is she? I'm very interested in finding her again."

"I don't know!" Bolt said, "She's probably with Majyk."

"Majyk…the head of the Starchaser Guild." Eon repeated doubtfully. His eyes narrowed. "Who are you, exactly?"

"My name is Bolt!" He grinned. "I saw you a few times when you visited Dad and my uncles."

Eon eyes widened. "You're Raikou's son!" In an instant, he swept Bolt up and slammed him against a pillar. "Where is my sister?! What have you done with her?! Answer me!"

"She's safe!" Bolt answered, "Now please, put me down. Keski doesn't like it when I get hurt."

Eon growled. "Safe?! There is no safe place in this world! The Queen of Air and Darkness will rise up and destroy it with its own corruption! Now tell me where she is or I will start slicing off limbs!"

"No!" Bolt said, "Have you _seen_ yourself lately? You're not at all the person Eona described! Even if there is no safe place in the world, I know for sure that she's a lot safer where she is than she would be with you!"

Eon shouted in rage. Dark purple energy enveloped his claws and he pulled back for a strike. "Then I'll drag the answers out of you with pain!"

"Eon!" Tyrone called, "Put the singer down. He's more interesting than this lot and it'd be nice to have him around for a bit."

Eon snarled and tightened his grip. Electricity crackled through Bolt's fur. "Stop!" Keski shouted. A golden blast of aura shot by Eon's head and exploded. Cracks spider-webbed across the surface. Eon's head whipped around and their eyes met.

"What was that?" Eon demanded, "Because that wasn't an aura sphere."

"You little…" Tyrone snarled. He rose from his throne and strode toward Keski. "Maybe I should take the whip to your hide myself!" Keski pressed himself back against the remains of the pillar and glared.

Eon dropped Bolt and floated over. He pushed in front of Tyrone and stuck his face in Keski's. "Well? What was that? An Aura Sphere would have reduced the roof to rubble. That just made a few cracks."

"…" Keski's eyes burned into his, but the corrupted Legend was completely unaffected. Understanding flooded the dragon's eyes and he chuckled.

"_Oh, this is rich!_" he said in Keski's mind, "_The Golden Lucario doesn't know _Aura Sphere_?_"

"Forget that!" Tyrone shoved Eon aside and glowered down at Keski. "You need to be taught a lesson. A lesson ya won't soon forget!"

Keski looked over at Bolt. The jolteon mouthed 'thank you'. Keski smiled. "Hey!" Tyrone snapped, "Ya paying attention or what?"

The lucario took a deep breath. "Do your worst."

Tyrone grinned. "Gladly…"


	14. Chapter 14: Twa Corbies

(With apologies to those with weak stomachs.)

...

(No seriously, Shadow Snivy, don't read Keski's dream!)

**Chapter 14**

**Twa Corbies**

_"__If nothing else, there's comfort in recognizing that no matter how much we fail and sin, death will limit our suffering." –Chuck Palahniuk_

"So, this is the capitol market."

Mist examined the stalls with an air of bewilderment. She tried to act as if she knew what she was doing and where she was going, but it was pretty much useless. She looked around nervously. So many people…guess those Pokémon Lord Sable employed knew what they were talking about… an islander who'd only spent a few months on the mainland was really not ready to be out in the city by herself… She sighed.

But! This opportunity shouldn't go to waste! Sneaking out had been difficult, after all. Time to see what there was to see in this city, such as she could. She nodded to herself and strode purposefully up to the nearest stall.

The merchant, a shabby bayleaf, looked up in surprise as she approached. "Oh! G-good afternoon, ma'am! How…how may I help you?"

Mist blinked. "I'm really just taking a look around…may I ask what you're selling?"

The bayleaf blushed. "Er, the latest news and gossip from around the kingdom, Ms. Mist."

"Oh." Mist smiled apologetically. "I don't really…how did you know my name?"

The stand owner reluctantly held up a printed magazine titled 'Seafoam with a picture of her on the cover. Mist's mouth opened wide and she blushed. "Oh…I didn't realize they drew me like that…"

"Well…the issues do sell very well…" He studied the picture. "It's not _indecent_. You're just lying down and stretching. And it's just the culture magazine…Not a publication of ill-repute, if you catch my meaning."

Mist frowned. "Ill-repute?"

"You know…" the bayleaf prompted. Mist tilted her head to the side in confusion. "Wow. You really are from the islands, aren't you?"

"Yes…"

"I'd rather not explain it then," he said.

Mist sighed. "There's a lot of stuff I don't know…"

The bayleaf glanced between her and the picture. "You know, I'd be willing to help you learn few things. If you wanted."

"That's very nice of you!" Mist smiled.

He nodded and took a quick look at the crowd. "Right. We can arrange to meet later. However, if I was you, I wouldn't stick around here for very long. Liable to be an incident."

"Incident?" she repeated.

"Well," he chuckled grimly, "some here aren't too fond of those who live under the nobles' protection. Me? I just sell the news, take what comes my way, and try to keep my head down."

Mist's head spun. "Um…I'm in danger? From who?"

"Well…" the bayleaf began.

"Hey! You!" a voice called from behind. Mist turned in alarm and found herself staring up at a very rough and grim machamp.

"People like him," the bayleaf squeaked.

"Shuddup, Oliver," the four-armed Pokémon snapped. He leered down at Mist. "Well, well, well, if it isn't one of Lord Sable's pets."

Mist took a step back. "I think I'll be on my way now…" She moved to step by him, but one of his arms reached down and snatched her into the air by the scruff of her neck.

"Not so fast, little darling." He gave her a disconcerting grin. "Why don't ya do a few poses for me, like you do on the magazines."

"You have three seconds to put me down or I will personally lay you flat on the ground," Mist warned.

"An' how do you plan to do that, little girl?"

Mist smirked. "Watch." She took a deep breath. "Storm's…STRENGTH!" Electricity crackled through her body and she swung her hind-legs forward in a powerful kick. Both slammed into the Machamp's stomach. A rush of wind left his lungs. He dropped her and clutched his stomach.

"Why you little…" he grunted. Mist charged forward and head-butted him in the chin. He reeled backwards and fell flat on his back. "Owww…you little…bitch…"

Mist tilted her head to the side. "Is that supposed to be an insult? Because I don't think that's what that word means…"

"Shut up!" he shouted, rising slowly, "I'm going to grab you and…"

A loud whistle blew. Alarm and fear appeared on his face and he recoiled. "No…no!"

"Make way!" a loud voice ordered. The crowd parted like water before a very fast ship and an erect and proud manetric strode through, eyes stern and flashing. "What's going on here?"

The square lapsed into silence and his eyes flashed. He strode up to Mist. "You. Explain this disturbance immediately!"

"She attacked me!" the machamp shouted.

"I wasn't asking you." The officer fixed his eyes on Mist. "Please, Miss. What happened here?"

"Self-defense," Mist replied, "He tried to kidnap me."

"Oh did he now?" The manetric raised an eyebrow. "Well, what do you say in your defense, scum?"

"I didn't touch her! She attacked me out of nowhere!"

"Likely story." The officer turned and bowed to Mist. "Inspector Fulmine, Miss, at your service. I'll take care of this cur. You can be on your way." The crowd glared at Fulmine, though none were ready to step forward and defend the machamp.

"Wait, wait, wait." Mist frowned. "Is that it?"

"Is that what?" Fulmine asked.

"I mean, aren't you going to ask any more questions?" She tilted her head to the side. "Back home, even if the situation seemed obvious, Father always refrained from passing judgement until he had all the facts."

"And where was your home, Miss?"

"One of the islands on the Great Sea…"

"Ah, that explains it," Fulmine said, "Here, there are so many more cases and crimes than you have at your home. You are the more trustworthy source, therefore I hold your statement of the situation to be of greater weight."

Hesitantly, the machamp tried to sneak off, but a glare from Fulmine stilled him. Mist swallowed. "I…suppose that makes sense…but it's not quite fair, is it?"

Fulmine's eyes narrowed. "Is there a reason I should trust him over you that you would like to share?"

"There is!" the machamp shouted, "She's a spy!"

"No she's not!" Oliver the bayleaf called from his stand. He held up the magazine with her picture on it. "She's a respectable model for the Redfield Report!"

Mist frowned. "What's an spy?"

Silence fell over the square. Even the angry mutterings of the crowd grew still. Fulmine cleared his throat awkwardly. "Traitors to the kingdom. It's a nagging problem that the police can't seem to get rid of."

Mist's head spun. "That's not helpful either. What's that word mean?"

"Clearly nothing you need to worry about at the moment!" Fulmine glared over his shoulder at the machamp. "As for this lying scum…"

"Officer, please…" the fighting-type pled, "I don't want to go to prison!"

"Then you shouldn't have broken the law! Now, march!" Fulmine nodded to Mist. "Have a good day, Miss."

"Yeah…you too, officer…" Mist shook her head. "Why is this world so confusing?!"

Oliver trotted over to her, a look of concern on his face. "Are you okay, Mist?"

She smiled weakly at him. "I'm not hurt, if that's what you mean." She started. "Oh! I have to get back before they realize I'm gone!" She took off running. "See you soon, Oliver! I'll come back here this Wednesday, okay?"

He blinked, but then a grin spread across his face. "I'll be waiting for you!" he called. She threw a smile back at him and disappeared around the corner. The instant she was gone, Oliver let out a whoop. "I can't believe she likes me! Does she like me? Oh, I hope she likes me…"

* * *

(**Warning: More so than normal, some may find this disturbing.**)

Darkness…darkness and wind. Keski felt himself adrift in the air. He couldn't remember why he wasn't on the ground anymore, but he had the vaguest impression that something hit hard in the head. But his eyes saw nothing. All was black and dark.

He struck the ground and rolled, limp as a doll, and lay still. A chill gust passed him by and his mind faded away.

"Forward, soldiers of Northmarch!"

Once again, he stood on the battlefield, a sword of pure golden aura clutched in his paws. The army of the Midnight Kingdom sprawled out before him, numberless and endless. But he was not afraid. He dashed forward to meet them, a beacon of light amidst a writhing mass of shadow. Left, right, up, down, his golden blade flashed in the gloom. None stood before him. None could.

He let out a wild laugh, riding the storm of battle. This, this place where life and death stood arm and arm, this was where you were fully alive! Working a field? Reading an empty book? Where was true life in those things? Not even the rapturous embraces of a lover could compare to the fire swelling in his chest at this moment! Life was a battle, this truth he accepted. No, more than accepted; relished!

Pound, heart! Blood, race! Arms that were strong, feet that did not falter, eyes that no enemy could escape! The cavern of his chest resounded with life: great, gusts of wind! Alive. Alive! To dance with Death and come out unscathed! To tread just on the cliff's edge and not fall over! Alive! In that dark, bloody shroud of ruin and battle, he knew himself.

He let out a roar and plunged into a new clump of enemies. In flashing arcs of strobing light, his blade lashed out and slew them left, right, and center. And after them…there was no one left around him. He took a deep breath and laughed.

Pain slammed into his shoulder and almost made him fall. He whirled, fire in his eyes, but it paled before the might of the being before him. His eyes were pools of magma, his wings stronger than the mountains themselves, and the strength of his aura flooded Keski's senses as if the entire ocean had been dumped onto his head at once. The being opened his mouth and spat forth an arrow of darkness. It pierced Keski's chest all the way to the other side. The lucario staggered and fell backwards. And there he lay for what seemed ages, unmoving, staring with empty eyes at the sky.

Two winged forms, much lesser and fouler than the one which struck him down, circled overhead. Slowly, ever so slowly, they descended and landed on a dead tree-branch nearby.

"Where shall we go and dine today?" the first asked.

"On a battlefield, not far from here," the second said, "There lies a new-slain knight. A lucario with golden fur. His friends and family search for him, yet cannot find where he lies. He's ripe for our feasting."

Their eyes fell on Keski. They took wing once more and landed on either side of him. "Go away," Keski growled, "I'll get up any moment now. I'm only resting."

They appeared not to hear him. The second clacked its beak. "Hahahaha! Yes! Fresh still. Just look at those eyes. Still clear, even though he's dead."

"Yes…" the first agreed, "and his fur will mend our nest and keep us warm."

"I want to peck them out. I always like the eyes best."

"We'll get as much of his pelt as we can back to the nest, then we can gorge ourselves on a very sweet dinner with his meat."

The second hopped up onto Keski's chest and stared at one of his half-open eyes. It clacked its beak again. "In a minute. I'm dying for a taste…"

"I'm not dead!" Keski growled, "Leave me al—"

Searing, white-hot pain lit up his skull. His body remained paralyzed, arms limp at his side and unable to defend himself. He let out a silent scream.

Through the haze of pain, he heard a gulping sound. "Delicious!" the second bird declared, "Say, how'd this one die?"

"He relied too much on his own strength and the god of war laid him low," the first replied. Keski felt a stabbing pain in his arm. "Mm! But in the end, all his strength could do was carry him to a lonely grave."

"Please…" Keski cried, "Stop…"

The second one hopped over to his remaining eye and stared into it. "Mmm, now or later?"

"Later, idiot. Help me get some of this pelt off him. It'll keep the nest warm in the winter."

"Coming, love." The bird hopped away from his face and sharp, near-unbearable pain shot up from his arms. "Good find, this one."

"Yes, isn't he?"

"We shall strip his bones bare."

"He shall lie naked on this hillside."

"Unmarked."

"Unknown."

"Forgotten."

"Forever?"

"Forever."

Keski let out a scream which shattered everything.

* * *

"Is he going to be okay?"

"Shh! Quiet please," a female voice said, "I'm trying to sew up this gash in his forehead."

Keski groaned as a sharp pain lanced through his head right above his eye. He instinctively tried to strike the person responsible, but biting chains pulled his arms short.

"I told you he'd do that," the female said with a chuckle. Keski forced his eyes open, or one of them anyway. The other refused to so much as budge and a searing pain shot through it when he tried. He growled. "Oh be quiet. You're lucky he didn't kill you."

Slowly, his vision focused. "R-Roa?"

The zoroark grinned toothily. "The one and only! Now hold still while I finish sewing you up." Keski gritted his teeth as she repeatedly poked the needle through his skin and drew the stitches tight. He didn't have the strength to resist and just lay still instead. "There! All done!" Roa stepped away from him, a smile on her face. Keski once again tried to lift his arm, but the chain cut the movement short.

"Why am I…?"

"Didn't want to get clobbered if you woke up. Turns out, that was a wise decision," Roa responded. She held up the key and twirled it around her finger. "Think you're able to stand?"

Keski's only reply was a low groan.

"I'll take that as a 'no'." Roa shook her head. "At this rate, I don't think you'll last the remaining nine days…" She clucked her tongue disapprovingly. "And seriously? 'Do your worst'? How stupider can you get?"

"Why do you care?" Keski murmured, "You want me dead too…"

Roa blinked. "Now when did I ever say that?"

"You didn't say it. But you do. I'm right, aren't I?"

"Oh please, Keski, don't…"

Keski rose slightly. "You want me dead too, I know it. Everyone here wants to see me suffer. I…" He winced and fell back.

Ryke clambered up onto the table so Keski could see him. "Keski, Roa's been nice. She's fed me and she even played games with me while we were waiting for you to come back…" He touched the lucario's fur softly. "And when you do, your fur is orange instead of gold because of all the blood! If she hadn't been there…She helped you, Keski. She doesn't want you to die… _I_ don't want you to die. So please don't talk about it like it's inevitable!"

Keski coughed. "I can't even tell if I'm in pain or not…"

"You are," Roa said lightly, "I drugged you. You won't feel it for another couple of hours, but you definitely are." She hesitated. "Who…who was it, by the way? Who did this to you?"

"Tyrone, and your wonderful father, who else?" Keski growled, "Your father's back may be broken, but his claws are very sharp."

Ryke looked confused. "Who's your father, Roa? If you mentioned it before, I forgot…"

Her expression turned grim. "Alzam, High Priest of Darkrai."

Ryke's eyes opened wide. "Oh…"

"Yeah…" Roa chuckled grimly, "We're not in a 'speaking relationship'. After he tried to get me to drink the blood of a 'sacrifice', I just gave up on talking to him."

Ryke looked a little sick. "B-blood sacrifice?"

"What? Does this look like the land of happy, happy nice people to you?" Roa said with a smirk, but it quickly faded. "You know, Northmarch was right about many things. They may be a bunch of stuck-up, arrogant, racist bastards, but they were kind of right. It would be a better world if Tyrone did not rule the Midnight Kingdom."

Keski examined her face for any sign of a joke. "You're…you seriously think that? You know that's considered treachery, right?"

Roa gave him a saucy grin. "Of course. But I also know that no one would believe you if you told them. My father would make sure that, even if they did, they really didn't. It's amazing how easy it is for him to change people's minds about what they do and don't believe by threatening their children." Ryke and Keski shuddered.

"I don't want to be here anymore…" Ryke muttered, "I didn't want to in the first place, but now I really want to leave!"

"Well, isn't that an interesting proposition!" Roa declared. She leaned over Keski's body and looked him directly in the eye. "So, I guess this next question is very important, right? Keski, are you sorry for what you did to me?"

"What did he do?" Ryke asked.

Keski's hackles rose. "I could ask you the same question…" he growled, "And why does it matter?"

"Because." She poked him in the shoulder and he hissed. "Er, sorry. It matters because I'm not helping you if you haven't changed. Now answer me."

The lucario hesitated. Finally, he slumped backwards and sighed. "Yes…" he said, "Yes, I'm sorry…"

"Sorry for what?" Ryke held his head. His mind felt like it was spinning round and round.

She stared into his eyes for a long moment. Then, she nodded. "Welp, I guess there is no better chance than now."

"Chance for what?" Ryke asked, "I'm so confused…"

Roa patted him on the head. "Getting out of here, of course!" Her face adopted a more pensive expression. "Hmm, yes, getting to two of you out shouldn't be too difficult."

"The two of us?" Ryke asked in alarm, "But what about everyone else?"

"Does it matter? If you stay here, you'll die a horrible, horrible death," Roa answered.

Ryke stamped a paw on the ground. "Yes it matters! They're our friends! I'm not leaving them!"

"Stay then!" Roa pushed him aside and bent over Keski. One of her claws traced the outline on his chin and a slightly crooked grin spread over her face. "What about you, Keski? Want to escape all this and leave it behind? Come with me and it can be just like when we were kits."

Keski glared at her. "I'm not leaving Bolt."

Roa's smile faded a little. "Why not?"

"I was charged with protecting him. And he's my friend," Keski answered, "I'm not leaving without him."

She sighed. "Fine! We'll bring the idiot jolteon with us!"

"And he won't leave without everyone else," Keski said. Roa rolled her eyes. "So you see, if you want to save me, you'll have to find a way to take everyone else with you."

Her eyes softened. "Keski…have you seen yourself? A stiff _breeze_ would knock you over. You can't push yourself forever just because it's your duty. Just…can't you ever think of yourself for once? Don't you deserve to be happy?"

Keski's expression turned somber. "I…honestly don't know," he muttered, "But running away and leaving Bolt and the Starchasers behind would ruin whatever chance I had at it. It's one of those annoying things about having a conscience."

"Says the one who wiped out entire villages without remorse," Roa scoffed, "Some conscience you got!" Keski went stiff and his face turned cold. Roa clapped a paw over her mouth. "I…I didn't…Keski, I'm sorry…I didn't mean it like that!"

"What did you mean then?" Keski growled.

She winced. "I just meant that this is a bad time to start acting morally…"

Keski half-rose into a sitting position, fury building in his face. "You think I have no morals?!" Golden light appeared in his eyes. "Let me tell you something, _friend_, I've always acted according to what I thought was right! I was wrong, and now I know that! And it's the knowing that is the greatest torture of all, more than whatever demented things Tyrone can do to me! You, on the other hand, have always done what pleased you most. I guess I should count myself fortunate that I please you, but I will not leave them behind."

"You're an idiot," she said.

"Well, that's an improvement then," Keski growled.

"You aren't changing your mind on this, are you?"

"Nope."

Roa bowed her head. "Well then…if it will satisfy this 'conscience' of yours, I'm going to have to make a few visits. See what we can come up with to help them. I'll be back later. Don't open the door for anyone but me, you hear?" She stepped into the hall.

"We…won't?" Ryke promised, "But, if you're going down to the prisons, would you…um, see the thing is, I have a friend named Mina. She's a zigzagoon. I…I want to make sure she's alright." Roa smiled at him and nodded. Ryke locked the door behind her. The riolu sat cross-legged in front of it and rested his head on his paws. "She's strange…"

* * *

Roa hummed very softly to herself as she padded silently through the darkened halls of Tyrone's palace. Silence and stealth were her best skills. Not even the subtle tune escaped the confines of her closed mouth. She blended into the shadows, moving easily between them so that an outside observer who happened to spot her would think she was merely taking a leisurely stroll. Yet whenever a guard came by, she always managed to be hidden in the shadows. None saw her stalk right past them and into the pens of the slaves.

"Hmm…hmm…" She tapped a claw to her lip. "Which one was it? Ah! Here we are." She snuck up to an iron reinforced door with a tremendous lock on it and placed an ear against it and peered in through a small crack. If she remembered correctly, this was where the eeveelutions were locked away. Oh! Looks like that was right. The jolteon and a female glaceon were talking while the other two appeared to be asleep. Well, the glaceon was talking. The jolteon seemed…distracted.

"Bolt…are you listening to me?"

Bolt's head snapped up and his eyes met Cia's. "Oh! Sorry. I…well, I wasn't paying attention…"

"I asked if you're okay," the glaceon said quietly, "You, um, have been very quiet since yesterday…"

Bolt blinked. "Really? Hmm, I guess that makes sense…I haven't been feeling well since then."

A look of alarm came across Cia's face. "A-are you getting sick? If we asked nicely, the guards might give us some medicine."

"No…" Bolt sighed. "I suppose you could say it's my soul that sick."

"Oh…" Cia didn't quite know what to make of that. "Um…can I help? What do you mean your soul is sick?"

Bolt hesitated. "Well…when someone's soul is sick, it means something's causing them great pain, but on the inside. I…well." He smiled, but his paws trembled. "I suppose you could say I wasn't prepared for…this."

"None of us were." Cia laid a sympathetic paw on his shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile. "But we're here for you, Bolt. Like Skipper said, we'll protect each other." Bolt looked down. "Um…did I say something wrong?"

"We'll protect each other, eh?" Bolt sighed. "And what good are songs and stories, then? They can't stop fire or ice. They won't form a shield to protect us against snapping jaws of slashing fangs. But they're all I know. So what good am I then?"

Cia shrank back a bit. "Bolt…you're scaring me. What…what happened? You're always so…happy?"

"They hurt Keski," the jolteon replied, "They hurt him badly. And all I could do was…" He swallowed. "I just stood there, watching with very wide eyes, as they did things to him that I didn't know anyone was capable of. I…I should have tried to…to stop them. I did try. I tried to catch their attention with stories and songs, but…I should have fought to save him, but in the end all I could do was stand there. Stand there and watch."

"What did they do to him?" Cia asked timidly.

"I…I won't describe it," Bolt said grimly, "But his fur was dark orange, almost red, from all the blood. And his skin is very hard to break. Tyrone…that miserable old…" He clenched his jaw. "I swear, by the life my father and Arceus himself, that I shall see the end of that Pokemon. He is so purely evil that nothing can save him."

"Will…Keski be alright?" Cia asked tentatively. She did not like the subject of 'ending' Pokémon, no matter who they were, and was eager to change it.

Bolt sighed forlornly. "I couldn't say…I just hope that someone in this place is looking out for him, because right now…" He tapped the cell door lightly. "I sure can't…"

Roa took a step back. "Well then…" she muttered, "I suppose it's time to begin." She bent down to the keyhole and whispered. "Hello. Can you hear me?"

"I hear a voice!" Cia gasped, "Bolt, what should we do?"

"Ask it to bring us Razz Berry tarts?" he suggested.

"My name is Roa," she said, "I'm here to help."

Cia and Bolt remained silent for a moment. "Cia, I think Cyon and Yuki will want to hear this…" Bolt suggested.

"I'll wake them up," she said.

"Good idea." Bolt rose and trotted over to the door. "Hello there, oh mysterious voice! How are you doing today?"

"Very well, and you?" Roa replied.

"Oh, as well as can be expected," Bolt said cheerfully.

"So…not very well at all?" Roa hazarded.

Bolt chuckled. "You got it…"

"Then let's see if I can't brighten your day a bit." Roa cleared her throat. "My name is Roa. I'm Keski's caretaker. I hate this place, I don't want to see Keski die, and I'm going to get you all out of here."

Bolt eyes narrowed. "Really? Cool. Tell me this, though: how? How are you going to do that?"

"Simple," she said, "I'm a member of the court. I just have to say I'm taking a carriage out for a morning jaunt through the mountains. If everyone can cram inside, there should be no problem."

"Not everyone's going to fit in one carriage," Cyon protested, coming and sitting next to Bolt, "Try again."

"It's a big carriage," Roa countered.

"How will we get past the guards?" Cia asked.

"I'm a zoroark. Illusions are my thing. They won't even know you're there," she said proudly. She heard strong whispers from inside as the four debated with each other. It made her nervous, standing there outside a cell she wasn't supposed to be visiting. Anyone could come along right now and, even if they only saw the wall thanks to an illusion, the four prisoners in the cell might give her position away regardless. Seconds ticked by and became minutes, minutes became a quarter of an hour, and then finally she heard one voice speak from inside the cell.

"Alright," Bolt said, "You might be tricking us, but any chance of getting Keski and the rest of us out of here is better than none."

Roa let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you. I will make all the arrangements and come for you tomorrow morning before the sun rises. Be ready."

"We will," they answered.

Roa rose and quickly padded away from their cell. Next was the main group of Starchasers, down in the pens. She managed to catch both Skipper the floatzel and Slicer the kabutops on break and explain her plan to them. They were even less trusting than Team Snowpaw or Bolt had been, but when she spelled out their options for them (and none of them were good) the begrudgingly agreed to her help.

"Iffn' ye betray us…" Skipper threatened.

"We'll find a way to get to you," Slicer finished.

She huffed. "Everyone has trust issues today it seems…"

"With good reason," Skipper countered.

She shrugged. "Granted. But I am your best chance."

"And it's in your best interest to stay that way," Slicer said with menace in his voice, "We won't risk our friends' lives needlessly."

"Speakin' o' that." Skipper cleared his throat. "How fares Shadow?"

Roa blinked. "Darkrai?"

"Shadow," Skipper insisted, "The Guildmaster trusted him enough t' make him a Starchaser. Don't know why he didn't introduce us t' him, but that's not important. He be one of us. We aren't leaving him behind."

"Your friend is evil incarnate," Roa said flatly.

"Not if we can get him away from here," Slicer snapped, "And if you can't manage that, then forget the whole thing!"

"We all leave or none o' us," Skipper agreed.

Roa put her head in her paws and ground her teeth. "You idiots! Keski will die if he doesn't get out of here soon! And what do you think will happen to the rest of you if he does, hmm? I wouldn't count on the King's mercy or understanding!"

"We know," Skipper said calmly, "But we are not willing t' leave him behind without at least giving him a chance to escape with us."

Roa clenched her paws into fists. "Fine! If not for Keski, I'd just leave you here to rot if that's your attitude. But if he betrays us, because he will, it's all your fault!" She rose in a huff and stormed out.

* * *

"Out…out, damn you!"

"**I cannot leave. You and I are one.**"

"You're a monster! Get out! I command you!"

"**If I'm a monster, what does that make you? A hero? Ha! I should hardly think so**."

Shadow wrapped both paws around his ears, trying to drown the voice in his head out. But it was useless. "Leave me be…"

"**You are me, fool! I don't properly exists at all. If I am 'bothering' you, then you have only yourself to blame. Quite the quandary, isn't it?**"

Shadow clenched his jaw. "Yes…I suppose it is…" He rose from his position curled up on the ground. "In that case, I will simply think no more of you and you shall be driven from my mind."

"**Can you**?"

"Can I what?"

**"****Can you 'think no more' of all the memories you now have? Is it really that…simple?**"

"I…" There was a knock at the door. Shadow snarled. "Go away, Alzam! I don't want to hear any more of your nonsense!"

"Well then!" a bright and cheery voice replied, "Be glad I'm not Alzam!"

Shadow frowned and went to the door. He opened it cautiously. "Hello there!" There was a female zoroark on the other side, "My name is Roa. May I come in?" Shadow wordlessly held the door open. "Thanks." She bounded in and sat upon a couch.

Shadow approached her and crossed his arms. "If this is about Alzam's offer to provide me with 'female entertainment', I'm still not interested."

"Oh, this is nothing like that." Roa chuckled. "Besides, Lord Eon has them all 'occupied'."

"Eon? As in, Eona's brother? A Latios?"

"Yep! That's the one!"

Shadow's shoulder slumped. "So…he's been captured. I do not look forward to telling Eona or Master Majyk…"

"Not captured."

Shadow blinked. "Explain."

"He came to us. To help with the war," Roa answered, "And once you're back to normal, we'll have two gods on our side."

In a flash, Shadow had her by the throat. "I see what this is," he hissed, "Alzam got tired of talking to me himself, so he sent a little acolyte! Well let me tell you something, cultist! I AM NOT DARKRAI! If you want your damned god of nightmares, you won't find him anymore! He's going to stay dead, locked up inside me forever!"

Roa choked and kicked at him, but he only tightened his grip. "You…are you…serious?"

"As a six-inch dagger through the heart." Shadow slowly set her down and shoved her away from him. "Now go."

Roa massaged her throat and stared at him. "Keski's dying," she blurted out.

"Yeah. I know. Alzam keeps me 'updated'."

"I'm getting him out of here," Roa said, "And…the others. Since he refuses to leave without them…I can get you out too, if you want."

Shadow growled. "Please don't lie." He flexed his claws and bared his teeth. "I really hate liars…"

"You may not be Darkrai, but you sure are scaring the crap out of me…" Roa held her paws up. "Look, you don't even have to believe me. Just be ready. Soon, I'll be knocking on your door again, and then I'll have all your friends with me and the key to freedom in my hand."

"I'll believe it when I see it."

She shrugged. "Well, then be happy, because you won't be waiting long."


End file.
